Bleach-Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications
by Hollowfied Tweaker
Summary: Accidentally transported to the Claymore Universe, Ichigo teams up with the beautiful Miria to battle man-eating creatures mysteriously transformed by Hollowfication, as well as the Evil growing within his soul. This story takes place between "The War in the North" and the "Seven Year Time Skip".
1. Chapter 1: The Abyss

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes: This is my first fanfiction, so please comment and give any advice or criticism. If everyone likes this story, I'll continue writing the next chapters. As the story progresses, I will welcome any good ideas to improve it (storywise, characters, etc.) and give proper credit to those individuals that take their time to help. Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoy it._

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**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**

**Chapter 1: The Abyss**

_"**When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you**." - Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil_

Karakura Town.

Laying in bed, Ichigo Kurosaki can't sleep, no matter how hard he tries. He stares constantly at the ceiling of his bedroom, pondering about what's bothering him. The calm, quiet atmosphere seems to only perplex his nerves. He's extremely disturbed about the events that transpired several weeks ago. During the time in Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime, he unintentionally transformed into an extremely powerful Hollow after nearly dying at the hands of the 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer. Even though Ulquiorra was in his second release, _Resurrección Segunda Etapa, _he was still overpowered by the transformed "Hollow Ichigo". This form as described by Orihime and Uryu, was relentless, uncontrollable, almost mindless and terrifying. He nearly killed Uryu Ishida while the latter tried unsuccessfully to stop him.

"WHY?" he asked himself, "How did this happen? I don't remember...anything. Well, I do in a way. I remember being underwater, fighting someone. Why the hell can't I remember! Small visions of Aizen and...I don't even really know what's bothering me exactly, but I feel that there's something seriously wrong here. I feel it in the pit of soul...that I'm not all there, somehow."

What he does remember is the last confrontation he had with his inner Hollow, the last words he spoke after being beaten, before he disappeared.

"_Oh, and here's a warning. If you really want to control my power, do your best not to die until the next time I appear_."

"What the hell did he mean by that?" Ichigo wondered, "I need answers. I have to speak with both of 'em."

His latest visit to his inner world did nothing but provide more unanswered questions and confusion. Upon arriving, Ichigo knew there was something amiss. Thick fog and a deafening silence is what greeted him. The atmosphere in this world was unusually dark and unnerving.

"What the hell is going on here, what's this...fog?"

As he traveled from building to building, he called out to both individuals that normally resides there. In Ichigo's mind, these two would be the only ones who could answer most, if not all, the questions running through his head. Although, he's truly not even sure what those questions are.

"Old Man!"

"OLD MAN !" he yelled, "Where the hell are you!"

"DAMMIT! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"

Silence...nothing but silence.

"Zangetsu!" "OLD MAN ZANGETSU!"

Again, nothing. Not even the sound of wind flew past his ears.

Traveling a little further, he comes upon an unsettling sight. He sees his Hollow's zanpakuto, the white Zangetsu with the black blade, planted into the side of a building. Only about half the blade is exposed. The long, black, cloth wrapping at the end of the tang, swayed gently in the light wind.

"What the hell is going on?"

He looked around, searching for any signs...but there was nothing, just the same fog and silence that was present when he arrived. In a fit of rage, he unleashes a Getsuga Tensho. The buildings directly in the path of his attack are struck head on, without mercy. An explosion ensues, causing smoke and debris to fly in all directions from the point of impact. Eerily however, after the onslaught, the deafening silence returned.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS?" he screams out, frantically.

Back in Ichigo's room, his need for answers begin to driving him insane. He looks at the clock...11:55 pm. Suddenly, the appearance of an enormous reiatsu breaks his chain of thought and he quickly sits up in bed.

"What the hell?" he said to himself, "a nearby Hollow?"

Utilizing his substitute shinigami badge, he changes to his shinigami persona as his human body quietly falls limp on the bed. He momentarily stares at the empty shell of himself, thinking for some unknown reason that he won't ever see it again. Quickly dismissing that particular thought, he swiftly makes his way out the window. His mind is still quite chaotic and he wonders if he'll be able to handle the coming situation without being distracted by such things.

"Of course I will," he thinks to himself,."I'll do whatever I have to."

After traveling several kilometers, he comes to the area where he sensed the tremendous spiritual pressure, but finds nothing. He looks around, but everything's quiet. No signs of any kind of disturbance.

"What the Hell!" he said, "Am I going crazy?"

He then senses two strong, familiar reiatsu coming from behind his six o'clock.

"Rukia, Renji" he said.

"Ichigo, what was that reiatsu earlier?" asked Rukia.

"Yeah, it woke me up!" said Renji, "I was trying to get some rest. Any idea what it was?" .

"I don't know...it seems to have disappeared as soon as I got here." exclaimed Ichigo

"Well, whatever it is...it's gone now." said a voice.

The three look down to see that Ishida is standing below them near the street.

"Uryu, you're here too?" asked Ichigo, somewhat surprised.

"Of course...why wouldn't I come?" said Ishida, "I sensed that strong reiatsu as well...I wasn't just going to sit around and do nothing."

"Uh...sorry, forget I asked." Ichigo said in a low voice.

"Seems to be a waste of time!" said Renji angrily, "There's nothing here."

Just then, a rip in the fabric of the surrounding space near their location appears. Slowly, the hands and head of a large Hollow is shown coming through the tear until its entire body fully emerges.

"It's a Menos Grande...a Gillian!" yelled Rukia, "What's it doing here?"

"Don't know, but I'll take care of this." Ichigo responds, hastily rushing head long towards the enormous Hollow.

"WAIT!...Something isn't right. There's something...wrong here...ICHIGO!" Rukia screamed.

Her words fall on deaf ears as the substitute shinigami races toward the Hollow with reckless abandon. In mere seconds, he closes the distance between them and attacks with a wide sweep of his zanpakuto, aiming for the creature's mask. The Hollow surprisingly blocks the attack which visibly surprises Ichigo. He attacks it several more times, but the results are the same as the first. He then drives his sword into the Hollows body causing it to shriek in pain. He momentarily stares at the way his zanpakuto is deeply imbedded in the side of the Hollow, with only a partial amount of the blade exposed and the cloth wrapping swaying around wildly in the wind. His thoughts change to the sight of his inner Hollow's zanpakuto alone in the foggy, silent inner world. Confounded, Ichigo pauses for several seconds, giving the Gillian enough time to grab him with both hands. The Hollow begins to squeeze Ichigo, causing him to scream out in pain. The Hollow then opens its mouth and begins charging a Cero. The familiar red light begins to form in front of the Hollow's mouth. However, before it's able to fire it at the young soul reaper, Ichigo finally comes to his senses and breaks free from the Hollow's grasp.

"Look!" Ishida says while pointing up, "above the Hollow!"

Rukia and Renji look up to see the clouds directly above both the Gillian and Ichigo, form into a swirling vortex. In a matter of seconds, it grows larger and takes the form of an upside-down tornado, unbeknownst to a distracted Ichigo.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!...GETSUGA TEN..."

Before he is able to initiate his attack, the Gillian is suddenly pulled up towards the vortex. In a futile attempt, it fires a cero into the eye of the uncanny storm causing it to intensify and change to a brilliant, crimson red. The Hollow starts to twist and stretch as it desperately tries to break free from the enormous suction emanating from the inverted twister. The Hollow grabs onto a couple of buildings, but both break and crumble as its body begins to stretch to the point of almost snapping in half like a giant, black rubberband. Its head quickly disappears into the growing vortex and just as quickly, its entire body gets completely sucked in.

"What in the world is that? It just completely sucked up that Gillian!" Rukia said with anxiety.

"I don't know but it's getting stronger!" Ishida says, "If we don't stop it now, it could suck up the whole city!...wait, what's Ichigo doing?"

The other two look up and see the vortex grow in size, power and intensity while Ichigo hovers in front of it. He seems to be oblivious to the fact that his life is in immediate danger. His thoughts continue to revert back to the events that happened in his inner world. He sees a glimpse of a shadowy figure and hears a menacing, unfamiliar voice, "**Once you glance into the abyss, it's hard to turn away. Likewise, the abyss will always stare into your soul. Be careful not to turn into the evil that you've been fighting all this time because once you're there, I'm gonna take over**. **Hehehe**" His thoughts are broken by the voice of the one who has always cared about him...

"ICHIGO, WHAT'RE YOU DOING STUPID? WAKE UP WILL YA!" screamed Rukia angrily.

Ichigo snaps out of his delusion. "What?" he said, looking around.

"BEHIND YOU DUMMY," Rukia screamed again, "MOVE!".

Ichigo turns his head and watches as the vortex move closer toward his direction.

"ICHIGO, GET THE HELL OUTTA THERE!" yelled Renji.

"I CAN'T...I'M BEING PULLED IN!" Ichigo raged back.

"Dammit!" Renji growled, "HOWL...ZABIMARU!"

Renji swings his zanpakuto in a wide sweeping arc, extending Zabimaru to its full length, which catapults its way toward Ichigo. On cue, the zanpakuto quickly wraps itself around the substitute soul reaper which in turn, causes Renji to be pulled violently forward due to the tremendous pressure caused by the localized unnatural windstorm.

"RENJI!" Rukia yelled, "HOLD ON!"

"IT'S TOO DAMN STRONG...WE'RE BOTH BEING PULLED IN!" Renji yelled back.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki"..."_**Some no Mai...Tsukishiro**_**"**

A large, circular pillar of ice forms from the ground up into the sky in front of Renji.

"Renji, grab the ice!" Rukia pleaded.

"I got it" Renji tells her.

The plan seems to be working for the moment. Rukia looks down and sees Ishida powering up an unusually large spirit arrow. His plan is to shoot the tail end of the vortex and cause an explosion large enough to disrupt the airflow. He's hoping this will cause it to collapse in on itself. Rukia's "ice pillar" begins to crack. The fracture starts from Renji's location and travels horizontally across the pillar.

"Uryu!" she yells at Ishida, "Whatever it is you're planning, do it fast...Renji can't hold on for much longer!"

"I know! But if I shoot this arrow too early without absorbing enough reishi, it will be totally ineffective." Ishida explains to her.

Several seconds pass. It seems more like hours. The spirit arrow is finally ready and Ishida aims carefully, aiming at the very tip of the funnel's tail. He looks at Renji struggling to grasp the chunk of ice while at the same time, holding onto Zabimaru with sheer willpower. He sees Ichigo swaying around violently in the turbulence as Renji's Zanpakuto is wrapped around him...almost like a kite in the middle of a hurricane.

"It's an easy shot," he thinks to himself, "concentrate...almost...NOW!

He releases the arrow and in an instant, it quickly passes Rukia and Renji. Just then, Ichigo's body begins to stretch and twist. He screams as his body stretches apart like the Hollow's did mere minutes ago. Ichigo is pulled loose from Zabimaru's grip and dragged towards the mouth of the vortex. The arrow streaks past him but it's too late.

Rukia screams, "ICHIGOOOOO!"

As well as Ishida and Renji, "KUROSAKI!"..."ICHIGO!"

A fraction of a second before the arrow hits its intended target, Ichigo disappears into the swirling, chaotic mass of energy. The massive explosion caused by Ishida's spirit arrow is deafening and so bright that Rukia, Renji and Ishida have to look away. The violent winds and aftershock of the explosion threaten to sweep them all away.

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Imagine being tossed into a giant blender...full of acid...at the highest speed setting...while inside the sun's corona. Ichigo doesn't need to imagine, he's living proof that a person could experience such an event. Lucky for him, it doesn't last long...then darkness engulfs him. He thinks things can't get any worse, but he is wrong. Suddenly, he collides into something large. The shock of the impact is so great that he is unable to remain conscious and completely blacks out.

How long he's been unconscious or how much time has passed, he isn't really certain. Pain, lots of it, is something he feels over his entire body. In a way, it's a good thing. Now he knows that he isn't dead. He hears voices, faint at first then somewhat distinguishable. Female voices...who?...what are they saying?

"Who is he?" one voice asked, "What the hell's he doing here?"

"I don't know?" another one said, "He might be a survivor of this massacre."

"He just suddenly appeared and fell from the sky," said another voice, "I can't believe a human could survived such a fall!"

"This isn't the time or place...we're in the middle of a battle!" yelled the first voice, "Just grab him and go, NOW!"

"I'll get him out of here!" another voice yells, "The rest of you keep fighting."

"ALRIGHT!" all the other voices say.

Ichigo tries to open his eyes, but everything's hazy, a giant blur. Then slowly his vision starts to sharpen. He hears screams, some are women, the others sound like...HOLLOWS? He looks left and sees several women wearing medieval armor and brandishing huge claymore swords, fighting against two Gillians.

"Where the hell am I?" he thinks to himself.

He tries to move, but his body won't respond.

"MOVE DAMMIT!" he says, "MOVE...MOVE...MOVE...MOVE!"

"Don't worry, I've got you." he hears a woman's voice say.

Ichigo turns his head toward the sound of the voice and looks at the woman talking to him. He notices that she too dons the same type of armor and brandishes the same enormous sword, just like the others. He glances at her face for several moments and is awestruck, just like a deer staring at a pair of oncoming headlights. His eyes widen and his heart thumps loudly...

"It...can't be...it just can't! How?" he says with a shocked look on his face, "Mom, is that...you?"

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 2: The Darkness

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

___Author's Notes:_ I wanted to thank everyone for their comments and support. I also want to thank **Samurai89** and **FFwatchdog** for the very helpful tips that they have given me. If anyone else has any other tips or would like to help with the storyline, please feel free to send me a message. Hopefully, I didn't take too long writing this next Chapter. It's been really hectic at work lately, so I wasn't able to finish it as quickly as I would've liked. This chapter went through several revisions and I'm hoping everyone likes it. Again, a big THANKS to everyone!!! :D

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_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 2: The Darkness**

In a small valley surrounded by mountains, several miles Southeast of Pieta, the snow has stopped falling for the moment. A moderate breeze begins sweeping through the area, blowing snow in an easterly direction.

"MOM?!" the Claymore said with a look of bewilderment on her face, "Sorry to disappoint you kid, but I'm not your mother. You must've hit your head on the ground really hard from that fall you took."

"......." Ichigo continues staring at her with a dumbfound look.

"Geez, humans, what a pain!....whatever, look....we gotta go, now." she said, sounding somewhat annoyed.

She picks Ichigo up and places him on her left shoulder without much effort and hustles away from the battlefield. She runs up the side of the mountain with inhuman speed and in mere moments, closes in on her destination.

"Wa...wait, where's my.....my zanpakuto?" he asked grunting.

"Huh...your what?" she asked, "Please shut up while I save your life, O.K.! You people really are a pain in the ass!

As soon as they reach the ridgeline closest to the valley, but safely away from the battle, she finds a hole in the rocks and places Ichigo inside, albeit a little rough. She stands up, looks down at the battle before her and pulls out her broadsword. But before she can leave, Ichigo calls to her, who seems to have regained his senses again.

"WAIT....what's going on here? What's happening?" he asked in a loud tone.

"Not only are you human, but you're also kinda stupid. We're fighting against a group of Yoma, including two very large Awakened Beings (or so she believes) with......strange, enormous yoki.....quite different than anything I've ever sensed. Those two just appeared out of nowhere. I don't know what to make of it." she tells him.

"A what?! yoma....awakened beings?" Ichigo said, looking a bit confused, "what I saw were two Hollows.....Gillians."

"Huh?! I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" she yells, "I've got no time for this. Stay here if you want to keep on living!"

The Claymore turns and departs quickly towards the battle. Ichigo tells her to "hold on" but she's already half-way down the side of the hill before he can utter those words. Frustrated, he slowly starts to crawl out from under the rocks where she placed him and edges his way forward to get a better look at what's happening down below. What he sees, horrifies him to his core. Hundreds of dead, human bodies lay scattered all over the snowy landscape. Nearly all of them torn apart. Also, along side the human bodies are the dead carcasses of strange-looking "monsters" and more surprising to him are the remains of........Hollows.

"So many....dead....bodies, this is horrible. What in the world is going on here?! And those Hollows, aren't they suppose to disappear once they've been struck down. Their bodies are still there for some reason. How's that possible?!" Ichigo says aloud.

The 6 Claymores below, slowly dispatch the group of Yoma that has surrounded them, but with the appearance of the Hollows, it makes the task highly difficult even with most of the warriors using half of their "Yoma powers". The number 23 Claymore, _Tiffany_ and number 42, _Isidora_ team up to engage a large Yoma. The Yoma charges at the two warriors, extracting his claws at the tips of his fingers. Long, bony blades springs out from both elbows, quickly extending and swings in the direction of the Claymores. Tiffany jumps high in the air to avoid the attack then brings her sword to the left side of her body, holding it with both hands. Isidora rushes forward and easily ducks the attack. In one quick motion, she cuts off both of the Yoma's legs with her sword. Tiffany, before landing on the ground, swings her sword wide and slices the Yoma's head horizontally in half. He doesn't scream....there was no time to. Another one down, four left. As Ichigo watches the battle at a distance, his eyes begin to open wide and he starts to yell,

"BEHIND YOU! THE HOLLOW'S GONNA SHOOT A CERO! LOOK OUT!!"

Tiffany and Isidora dosen't hear him, he's a little too far away and because of the fact that in the midst of battle, a person's focus is sometimes on one objective, to kill the enemy. Things happen very quickly in a battlefield, unfortunately for them, they're going to find out first hand how quick. Both Claymores feel the strange, enormous yoki behind them. In Ichigo's world, what they're feeling is actually called reiatsu or spiritual pressure. This is the first time that they've ever felt anything this strong. So strong in fact that it leaves them paralyzed for but a moment. "A moment" is all the time the Hollow needs. They both turn their heads to look back and see the giant Hollow with the long, pointed nose staring down at them. A bright, red light begins to grow in size and intensity, directly in front of its open mouth. The captain of the group, hears Ichigo screaming. She looks around and sees the chaos that's about to happen.

"ISIDORA....TIFFANY, GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!!" she screams in vain.

Too late. A huge red beam shoots out from the Hollows mouth. Isidora doesn't have time to move. The top part of her body is engulfed by the Cero. Her body is thrown dozens of yards away and lands into the side of a hill. There isn't much left of her upper body. Her head is all but disintegrated. Tiffany jumps away but barely dodges the attack. The beam hits her left arm and she spins counter-clockwise and slams hard into the ground. The Captain yells again,

"TIFFANY.....ISIDORAAAAA!!!!!"

"DAMMIT!" Ichigo yells aloud with frustration, "I gotta get up and do something! I'm not going to let another one of them get killed!!"

The snow finally returns along with the wind. Unknown to mostly all of the participants of this battle, except for the Claymore Captain, they are being watched carefully by two different groups. One located closer to them in the South and the other, located Northwest, high in the mountains. The group in the North, are seven in total. All wearing long cloaks with hoods covering their heads. All of them are women. The group in the South, have a total of five. All are men. The leader of this group has been grinning ever since the appearance of the two Hollows.

"Heh, two creatures this time. PERFECT. Once they are all killed, we'll use them to make ourselves even stronger."

"Was it really necessary to use our Yoma as cannon fodder?" the one at the end asked.

"The answer is quite obvious, without doing so, our plans could not continue forward." he said, noticeably irritated, "I do things for a reason, something you may not understand. So don't ask me anymore stupid questions!"

"What if the warriors can't defeat those two creatures?" another one asked, "They've already lost three from their group."

"You may have your doubts, but remember, the Captain of that group is the Organization's number **3............_Galatea_." the leader responds.**

"She's the same one that rescued that human boy from the battlefield." utters another.

"That's correct." he says with a slight smile, "Speaking of the which, I believe that boy came through the portal right after the second creature appeared. I wonder what his connection is with those lumbering giants. Anyways, in the slight chance that Galatea is unsuccessful and her group is killed, I want you to go there and finish the job. Bring me their heads along with their masks. Do you understand me......Lugar?"

"Of course......Xeger, I'll take care of it." He says with a growing grin. The sclera of his eyes slowly turning black.

The Hollow turns its attention towards Galatea and the rest of the Claymores. It fires another Cero. "LOOK OUT!" she yells at her group. Most of them manage to dodge the beam except for one, number 38 Laura. She loses both of her legs and is knocked unconscious in the process. The Cero not only incapacitates one of the Claymores, but manages to kill two Yoma as well. The Yoma are not pleased, to say the least.

One of them jumps towards the Hollow in a futile attempt to avenge the two that were cut down. The Yoma opens his mouth and dozens of small spears shoot out, some hitting the Hollow's body and causing it to scream out in pain. Most of the spears actually travelled straight through the hole in the center of the Hollow's chest. The Hollow grabs the Yoma in midair with its right hand, its arm emerging from the side of its body. It then brings its hand up towards its mouth, clutching the Yoma with a strong grip. The Hollow charges a Cero. In a desperate attempt to save his life, the Yoma transforms his right arm into a long whip with two blades at the end, forming a large, two-sided ax. He swings, but misses the Hollow that's holding him. Instead, his attack swings up into the air then down, hitting the ground and causing debris to fly in all directions. One of the blades accidently hooks onto something metallic......it's Zangetsu.

The Hollow shoots the Cero and literally blows the Yoma in half. The upper and lower parts of his body, flying in different directions. Zangetsu is knocked loose from the Yoma's transformed arm. Ichigo sees his zanpakuto thrown high and far into the air, which lands near the base of the hill below his location. The tip of the blade being embedded in the ground with only half of the sword exposed. His zanpakuto's white, cloth wrapping attached to the tang, begins swaying furiously in the strong, snowy wind.

"Za..zanget...su," Ichigo said in a low, almost whispering tone.

His thoughts again revert back to that time in his foggy, empty inner world where he found nothing but Ogihci's zanpakuto.

"**You really are quite pathetic, Ichigo Kurosaki!"** a voice said in a deep tone, **"You'll never amount to anything with that fragile psyche of yours. So much potential but such a weak and foolish soul. You smell of fear. It's eating you alive. Why don't you just crawl back under that rock you were hiding in and call for your Mommy. Oh, that's right, you can't cause she's......dead**."

"WHO SAID THAT?! WHO'S THERE?! DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER AGAIN YOU BASTARD, I'LL......I'LL KILL YOU!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!!" yells Ichigo at the top of his lungs.

"**Heh, look at you, lying there like a wounded puppy. I'm suppose to be afraid of you. Ha, I'll tear your soul apart without breaking a sweat. I'll bet you can't even save that woman who rescued you earlier. The one that you thought was your dear-departed Mother. She's going to get killed just like your real Mom, all because you SUCK**!!"

"SHUT UUUUUPP!! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP, DAMN YOU!!" yells Ichigo, even louder than before, "I'LL RIP YOUR DAMN HEAD OFF!! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU BASTARD!!"

"**Hey Loser, maybe you should change your name to SUCKCHIGO.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**." the voice retorts.

"SCREW YOU!! YOU BASTARD!!!" Ichigo screamed angrily, unwittingly releasing an outrageous amount of reiatsu at the same time.

Everyone present in the area, pause for a second, feeling Ichigo's colossal, overwhelming spiritual pressure, even the Hollows give pause and look his way. The remaining Yoma is smart and runs away from the battle, in the opposite direction.

"What the hell is that?! Could it be that boy from earlier?" Galatea wondered, "Is he some kind of Awakened being?"

"Interesting, that boy has more strange yoki than those two creatures combined!" Xeger tells the group, ".....We have a change of plans everyone. The boy is your new target, Lugar.....annihilate him and bring me his head instead."

"It'll be my pleasure." he says calmly with a smile growing across his face.

In the North, the entire group of women feels Ichigo's reiatsu as well, even from their distance. The leader removes her hood as the snow blows across her face.

"Did you feel that too......Miria?" one woman asked.

"Of course, Tabitha.....I believe we all did." answered Miria, "We didn't need your abilities to sense that strange and powerful yoki. I wouldn't be surprised if the Organization felt it as well. We might be dealing with a new kind of Awakened Being......something very dangerous that could threaten not only us, but all the lands here."

"What's the plan?" a short-haired woman asked.

"Helen, I want you, Clare, Deneve, Cynthia, Tabitha and Uma to continue hiding yourselves in the North," ordered Miria, "if any of you must leave for any reason, I want two or more of you travelling together. Nobody is to travel alone....is that understood?!"

"Yes, Captain," they all say.

"Also, try to avoid ANY and all contact. That includes other warriors from the organization as well as Yoma, especially Awakened Beings." Miria continued, "I'm going to take a closer look."

Clare, Helen and Deneve requests to come with her, but she outright refuses and tells them to get back to the Northern lands immediately.

Miria puts her hood back over her head and disappears down the mountainside. All the women turn and begin walking in the other direction, except for one. Clare removes her hood and says out loud, "Be careful Miria, come back safe.....if you don't, I'll never forgive you..."

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3: Comes A Horseman

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_*Updated 06/29/09*_

___Author's Notes:_ I just revised this Chapter again, hopefully I addressed some of the issues that it had. I would like to thank everyone again for your reviews, comments, support and advice. I hope you enjoy this version better.

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_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 3: Comes a Horseman**

Southeast of Pieta.

The heavy snowfall and howling winds hint at the possibility of an upcoming storm. Ichigo stands on top of the hill, shouting angrily at the voice which taunted him earlier. He stands in the middle of the snowstorm as the reiatsu he's putting out is causing the snow falling around him to swirl and disperse outward in a counter-clockwise direction high into the air. Ichigo isn't aware that his emotional outburst is turning the tide of battle in favor of the Hollows. Due to his overwhelming spiritual pressure, Number 21 Valerie and Number 26 Morgan are barely able to stand, let alone fight. Galatea is less affected by it, however, being the only warrior capable of fighting against the two Gillians, her chances of success is very slim. Then again, there's a reason why she's "Number 3" in the Organization. The Hollows feel Galatea's yoma energy build up. They turn their attention away from Ichigo and back to her.

"Captain, the yoki coming from that.....that boy is strong, I'm having a difficult time.....walking." Morgan said, breathing heavily, "I don't think I have a choice but to use more.....yoma energy."

"No! I can't have either of you taking chances of awakening." Galatea responds, "I'll hold them back....you two get Tiffany and Laura. They're both "defensive" warriors so they can heal quickly as long as they concentrate. Find a safe place for them and get back here as soon as possible. The boy's yoki is starting to wane. His emotions are calming down. Go."

"But...Captain....," Morgan complained with a sound of worry in her voice.

"I SAID, GO!" Galatea yells back, "There's no time!"

Valerie and Morgan quickly leave their Captain and split up. One heading towards Tiffany and the other heading towards Laura. Galatea stands her ground and stares at the Hollows without batting an eye. Her long, blond hair sways wildly to her left as she pulls out her claymore. The Hollow with the long, pointed nose looks her way and charges a Cero. In an instant, she runs up the side of the Hollow's body, slashing in several directions multiple times. The Hollow tries to swat her like a fly with one hand, but she manages to jump away in time. She performs a backflip in midair, landing on the Hollows arm near the wrist while simultaneously stabbing the back of its hand. In one quick motion, she swings her sword to the left and slices the hand off. The Hollow shrieks in pain and uncontrollably shoots off the Cero it was charging beforehand. Galatea quickly runs up the Hollow's arm, jumps then lands on one of the spikes protruding from its neck. Using the spike as a springboard, she launches herself towards its face. She grabs the Hollow's nose and swings over then slashes both eyes, blinding it. The Hollow howls as Galatea jumps off of its nose, sliding all the way down to the ground. After landing, she quickly turns towards the Hollow and begins to concentrate. She assumes that if she's able to control an Awakened Being's movements by manipulating its yoki, then it should be just as easy with this creature. Although the energy signatures are apparently different, manipulation of energy is basically the same.

Wounded and blind, the Hollow begins shooting multiple Ceros in different directions, one nearly hitting Ichigo. The blast knocks him to the ground, snapping him back to his senses again. He shakes his head back and forth then slowly stands up, looking around. He notices two of the female warriors helping the injured ones then sees Galatea kneeling motionless in front of the injured Hollow. Fearing for her safety, he scampers down the hill while looking around for his zanpakuto. Snow has covered the entire area including all the bodies he saw earlier along with his sword, making the search difficult.

"What the hell's she doing?" he asked himself, "why isn't she trying to get away?"

He gets to the base of the mountain and frantically searches for Zangetsu, but there's so much snow now that it'll probably take nothing short of a miracle to find it in time.

Galatea slowly gains control of the injured Hollow. The energy signature is so different that it's taking more time than she expected to adjust. Finally, it slowly turns in the opposite direction while continuing to shoot off more Ceros. One Cero hits the other Hollow directly causing a huge explosion. Smoke mixes with snow and ice, so thick that it's impossible to see anything. Galatea uses her huge sword as a shield, blocking most of the flying debris and ice shrapnel coming her way. As the smoke slowly clears, the head of the second Hollow emerges and suddenly bites the injured Hollow. Galatea is in slight shock as she watches one Hollow consume the other.

"What the hell is happening here?" she says to herself, "Why is it eating the other one?"

She notices that the mask on the second Hollow is different from the one she was fighting. This one didn't have eyes or a nose, just four long vertical holes running from above its mouth to its forehead. She gets up and quickly moves away from the area as Valerie and Morgan finally meet up with her. Galatea asked how the other two are doing and they tell her that both are slowly regenerating their lost limbs.

"I really don't know what's happening, but once that creature is finished eating the other one, I'm certain that it will come after us next," Galatea tells them, "I've got a plan."

"What is it?" they both ask.

"It's pretty simple, really" she says, "both of you attack its legs while I go for its head. Those things aren't very smart, they're slow and have practically only one form of attack......that red light that shoots out of its mouth. It's powerful, but needs several seconds to build up."

"Alright, we'll be ready." said Valerie staring at Morgan, who nodds in agreement.

In just a short time, the Hollow rises up after eating a large portion of the other Hollow then turns its attention to the three women. Galatea senses that its reiatsu has become twice as strong, but believes that her plan shouldn't be affected. Suddenly, the Hollow fires a Cero without requiring a charge. There wasn't any time to react as Galatea watches the red beam move towards them and has about enough time to close her eyes and wait for certain death.....

Certain death......not this time. She opens her eyes and is amazed to see Ichigo standing in front of her, deflecting the Cero with his own huge sword. She looks to her left and sees Morgan lying on the ground several yards away. It seems she wasn't hit by the Cero. She then looks right to see Valerie in the same disposition. What exactly happened(?), she thinks to herself. Using her Yoma Powers, she closes her eyes and concentrates, feeling the yoki and reiatsu energy signature that happened several seconds ago. She sees Ichigo knocking Valerie and Morgan out of the way then moving in front of her to block the Hollow's attack. How did he move so fast? He saved all three of them.....she's in his debt but can she trust this......stranger?

Ichigo initiates his trademark attack.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!!"

The blue colored, crescent wave travels along the ground at high speed, racing towards the Hollow. The attack hits the giant dead center, explodes and sends it crashing into the side of the mountain. Galatea is amazed, to say the least, at how powerful this boy is. She looks at the deep gash in the ground created by Ichigo's attack.

"Hey!" Ichigo says while turning around to face her, "Are you O.K.?"

"Fine," she answered, "I'm just fine...."

"I'm glad." he responds.

In the North, Miria has been watching the battle unfold. She's in slight awe at the power of the Hollows and especially Ichigo, himself. Never has she seen these kind of devastating attacks before. These beings truly are dangerous, possibly even more than Awakened Ones, she thinks to herself. She decides that it's important to keep an eye on this boy with "orange" hair. The group in the South has been watching the battle patiently as well, with eager anticipation. The leader, Xeger believes that with the appearance of this boy, his plans will soon come to fruition.

"Did you see that?" Galiver asked.

"Of course we did, you dimwit," retorted Lovino, "we aren't blind!"

"That kid is very strong. He killed the creature with only one attack." Lugar exclaimed.

"Look again, it's still alive. The boy maybe strong," Reinhart states, "but he is very naive to think that just one attack is going to bring it down."

"Good observation, Reinhart." Xeger responds, "This battle isn't over yet."

Back at the battlefield, the Hollow begins to move and slowly reaches for the mountainside to use as a handhold. Ichigo helps Galatea up from the ground, picks up her claymore then hands it to her, smiling. She takes her sword, swings it at Ichigo and stops the blade just a few centimeters from his neck. Ichigo's eyes open wide, clearly in shock.

"Talk! Just who are you?!"

"I'm Ichigo.....Ichigo Kurosaki. Substitute Shinigami...."

"Substitute ...what?"

"Death God in certain languages, Soul Reaper in others."

"Death God? Soul Reaper?.......I've never heard of those before. What exactly are you and those other creatures doing here?"

"I....don't know what I'm doing here. I remember fighting a Gillian then......I ended up here....."

"Gillian? How do I know that you aren't with those creatures? All three of you appeared here at the same time."

"Didn't you hear what I just said?!" Ichigo screams loudly.

Galatea moves her blade closer to Ichigo's neck, nearly cutting his skin. "Shut up and answer my question."

"If I were with those Hollows, would I really try to kill them?!"

"Point taken....but still....."

"What the hell do I have to do to prove.....?"

"Wait, you just called those creatures....Hollows?"

"Yeah, they're called Hollows. Those two are Gillian-class Menos. In a nutshell, they're souls that turn into corrupt spirits which devour the souls of both living and dead humans, sometimes even other Hollows. The hole in their chest pretty much means that they've lost their heart....or something like that"

"I see. Well, earlier, the Hollow you struck down ate the other one."

"What?! That's why the mask looked different. It's growing, trying to change into......an Adjuchas-class Menos."

"A what?!"

"A stronger, more powerful Hollow."

"Stronger......?"

"Yeah, stronger......the more Hollows it eats, the closer it becomes to turning into one of those things. There's possibly enough dead Hollows here for him to feast on to accomplish that task, but the strange thing is......there shouldn't be any dead Hollows at all!"

"What do you mean?"

"Hollows are suppose to disappear when struck down."

"Disappear?"

"Yeah, normally once a Hollow is defeated, its body disappears and its soul either enters Soul Society or is destroyed completely."

"Soul Society?"

"Uh, long story....."

"I'm sure we have plenty of ti.......wait, it's still alive! It's moving."

"What?!"

"The Hollow, I can sense its yoki. It's coming..."

"What the hell's a _YOKI_?!"

"Ugh, nevermind.....so now what?"

"Guess I'm just going to have to stop it."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Plan?......I'm just gonna go and kill it..."

"Some plan..."

"You got a better one?"

"Maybe....."

"Wha...? "

The Hollow is finally up and starts walking towards Ichigo and Galatea. Ichigo stands with the left-side of his body facing the Hollow while holding his zanpakuto horizontally at his right-side with both hands as the tip of the sword touches the ground. Galatea stands several feet away with her sword in hand. As soon as the Hollow gets closer, she runs towards Ichigo and steps onto Zangetsu as he swings her over his head. She launches head-first at the Hollow while Ichigo shoots a Getsuga Tensho horizontally, cutting off both of its legs. The Hollow fires a Cero at Galatea while falling forward, missing her by just a few feet. With the Hollow in range, she attacks its head using fast, multiple slashes and strikes that cuts the mask to pieces. The Hollow's painful scream echoes down the valley as it crashes face first into the ground. Galatea lands in the deep snow on her feet, next to Ichigo.

"Nice job."

"Thank you."

"By the way, I didn't get your name."

"I didn't give it." Galatea pointing the tip of her blade at Ichigo's face.

Ichigo turns around, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!"

"Thanks for the help, but like I said, I'm still not sure if I can trust you."

"What do I have to do to.....?"

The Hollow stirs, then begins moving slowly.

"Hold on....it's still alive!"

"What?! You've gotta be kidding!!"

Ichigo turns around and runs toward the fallen Hollow, angrily driving Zangetsu deep into its skull....

"GETSUGA TENSHO!!"

Ichigo's attack erupts from the inside of the Hollow causing it to split completely in half. Breathing heavily, Ichigo slowly gets up and looks for any movement from the Hollow. At that moment in the South, Xeger finally decides to make his move.

"Lugar, go and bring me his head now. Remember, we need enough of his body for the experiments."

"Yes sir, I'll take care of it."

The man's pupils change from silver to bright orange, both iris change from circular to long vertical slits and the sclera begins to blacken. He quickly takes off towards Ichigo's location with speed that rivals shunpo.

"I think it's dead, finally. I can't sense anymore of its yoki."

"Good........but what the hell is a yoki...."

"A Yoki is the energy of a Yoma."

"What's a Yoma?"

"Ugh.....a Yoma is a demon that eats Humans, specifically a human's innards. After eating a human, it's able to take that human's form including all memories."

"........"

"Yes, that's what we're dealing with as well....."

She turns her head suddenly and looks to the South. She feels an immense and powerful yoki coming towards them at great speed.

"Something is coming.....really fast, heading straight for us..."

Ichigo looks around and finally feels the huge reiatsu coming their way. It's strange.....it feels almost like a mixture of a Hollow's spiritual pressure and.......these female warriors' "yoki". What could it be?

"Whatever it is, it's strong.......stronger than the Hollow that we just fought....."

"....get ready, it's almost here......by the way my name is......Galatea"

Ichigo and Galatea stand with weapons drawn, waiting for whatever is approaching from the South to appear. A group of trees located in the southern area are suddenly cut down by an unseen force. Then there's silence. For several seconds, nothing can be seen or heard except the snow blowing through the valley. Unexpectedly, Galatea feels the Yoma's yoki and pushes Ichigo away while simultaneously blocking the Yoma's surprisingly, quick attack with her sword. Ichigo slides backwards creating two long tracks in the snow-covered ground. Miria, who's current location is on a plateau in the Northern area, senses the other yoki at the battlefield and decides to examine the situation at a closer distance. She swiftly runs down the slope of the north mountain closest to the valley and takes cover behind a large boulder atop the western ridgeline. "Damn, another Awakened Being," she thinks to herself, "but this Yoki seems to be nearly at the same level as Regaldo. Who the F***K is he.....?"

"Nice save, bitch. I wanted to finish this quickly, but you just had to go and save him........and do things the hard way!"

"Just who the hell are you?!!"

"The name is Lugar, boy. Third Horseman. I've come here to take your head!"

".....horseman?...."

"An Awakened Being?........What do you want with him?"

"This doesn't concern you, Claymore. Stay out of our business or I'll kill you then use your dead body as my, hehehe.....plaything."

"What the hell did you say?!.....I'll..."

"Galatea....stay back.....I'll take care of this guy!"

"HA!....So, you're gonna take care of me?! Kid, you have no idea who I am?"

"Heh.....the same can said for you. You don't know me and have no idea what I'm capable of.....!"

"Talk is cheap, boy......show me!"

Lugar begins his transformation. His Yoki explodes. Ichigo is noticeably shaken and feels that Lugar's spiritual pressure is equivalent to that of an Arrancar. He believes that in his current state, he might not be a match for the horseman, so........

Ichigo swings his zanpakuto, bringing the tip of the blade around until it's pointing directly at Lugar. He places his left hand over his right arm and the long, white cloth attached to the end of Zangetsu's tang begins to wrap around Ichigo's right arm. His reiatsu begins to spike as a bright blue aura surrounds his body. Ichigo grins......

"BAN......KAI!!"

**End of Chapter 3**


	4. Chapter 4: Balance of Power

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes: I just wanted to thank everyone again for the reviews. I also wanted to thank samurai89 & Gravespawn for all of their great advice that they've given me. I originally wanted to finish the fight scene in this chapter, but I didn't feel that there was enough room. I' will probably revise it again later or add more things to it._

* * *

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 4: Balance of Power**

Southeast of Pieta.

A battle between two powerful individuals. One a Death God, the other an Awakened Being, both augmented by.....Hollow powers. The arena.....a small valley surrounded by mountains located South of the town where 17 Claymore warriors lost their lives in a battle against an army of Awakened Beings. The audience.....a group of four mysterious beings, a group of Claymore warriors, one former Claymore (a survivor of the battle in Pieta) and.....one other.

As Lugar transforms, the air around him explodes in all directions, causing near-hurricane force winds as a bright, crimson-red wave of light engulfs nearly the entire valley, including most of the spectators. Galatea utilizes her sword as an anchor by stabbing it into the ground and holding onto the handle. Miria shields herself behind the giant boulder which she used earlier to avoid being detected while observing the situation below. Ichigo uses his own reiatsu to provide protection from the chaotic outpouring of Lugar's yoki/reiatsu. It lasts only several seconds, but long enough for Lugar to relish in his own power.

"HOOOOOYAAAAA!!"

As the mixture of smoke and snow disperse, an outline of a large figure appears until Lugar is clearly visible. Black fur covers his entire body. Six long, curved, bony spikes protrude from his shoulder blades (three on each side) forming a pair of wings. Each of his fingers on both hands have changed into twelve-inch long blades. His lower body is covered in "bone armor", from his upper thigh to the top of his clawed feet. His face is wolf-like with a short snout and two huge, inverted fangs in place of his lower cuspids. The strangest thing about his transformation is the appearance of a "Hollow hole" in the center of his chest, encompassed by several shark-like teeth, both in front and back of his body. His eyes are bright orange and cat-like with completely black scleras.

"I'm gonna rip your guts out and devour it while I tear your funny-looking head from that scrawny-ass body of yours, boy!"

Ichigo grins......his visible, blue aura expands violently outward. The physical pressure of his reiatsu is overwhelming. He swings his zanpakuto, bringing the tip of the blade around until it's pointing directly at Lugar. The blade glows bright blue, as does his eyes. He places his left hand over his right arm as the long, white cloth attached to the end of Zangetsu's tang begins to wrap itself around Ichigo's arm.

"BAN......KAI!!"

The tip of Zangetsu's blade suddenly discharges an enormous Getsuga Tensho, ripping through the ground. Lugar quickly side steps to the right, barely evading the energy wave. Shocked at how large and powerful the attack was, he looks over at Ichigo, who's blue aura has changed to jet-black with a reddish outline. Lugar senses that Ichigo's reiatsu has gotten more massive and more.....evil as well. What the F*** did he do? What the hell is this "BANG-KIE" thing?!, he says out loud. As Ichigo's "black aura" begins to slowly dissipate, his bankai form is finally revealed to everyone. He utters two words,

"Tensa Zangetsu"

Ichigo's "meat cleaver" shaped zanpakuto transforms into a straight-edged odachi with a black blade. The white, cloth wrapping has changed into a short length chain with a broken link at the end which dangles from the kashira. Ichigo's shihakusho is replaced with a tighter fitting, long-sleeved, ankle-length black shihakusho, which ripped and ragged at the bottom near his feet, closed at his midsection and underneath, has a red inner lining.

"Is this some type of Awakening?" Miria asked herself.

"His yoki has definitely changed." Galatea said aloud , "It's gotten more immense, at least by ten fold. It's also quite ominous now, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I really don't know what to think.....I'll just have to keep my guard up."

"He changed his clothes and weapon while increasing his yoki?" questioned a puzzled Galiver, "What......he didn't like what he was wearing before?"

"I think it's more than that, you idiot," Reinhart replied.

"Yes, it's definitly something more......All of you be quiet and just watch!" Xeger commanded.

"Yes, sir." they all responded.

"So, you have a transformation also? Honestly, it's not very impressive, you're just wearing a different shirt now and holding a different weapon. Ha, I'm gonna have fun tearing you to shreds!"

"Oh, really?!"

Ichigo disappears and Lugar loses sight of him for an instant. In less than a heart beat, Ichigo appears in front of him and cuts Lugar's left fang in half which falls to the ground. Lugar jumps back in obvious pain, holding the remainder of the tooth that's still attached to his lower jaw, staring at Ichigo in disbelief.

"Are you really that stupid? You should have cut my head off with that attack instead of my tooth. Is showing off really necessary? Don't expect me to do the same because I'm just going to flat-out kill you!"

Lugar raises his right hand, pointing every "finger blade" at Ichigo, then all at once, each blade shoots out at high speed. Ichigo quickly vanishes then reappears a few yards away, but surprisingly, the blades follow him. Ichigo vanishes several more times, reappearing at different locations until he ends up directly behind Lugar. The blades follow him and a surprised Lugar moves out of the way with incredible speed to avoid them. Ichigo pursues him, both warriors moving in a blur, but the shinigami is five steps quicker. Ichigo swings his zapakuto causing Lugar to stop in his tracks and block the attack. Unaware that he is standing inbetween his opponent and the five blades following him, Lugar immediately attacks, slashing repeatedly. Ichigo blocks, parry's and counters every one of his attacks until.....the Yoma/Hollow hybrid gets hit in the back by his own blades.

"ARGHHHH!!"

"It seems Lugar got his hands full with this one, Xeger"

"It would seem so, but it's still too early to tell." Xeger tells him, "Lugar has gotten a bit arrogant since killing those three Awakened Beings single-handedly, this fight might be able to bring his ego back down to size."

"You don't really think that he'll lose, do you?"

"Well, it seems to me that this boy, no matter how young he appears, has a great deal of battle experience. He baited Lugar into a standup fight and he stupidly fell for it." Xeger explained, "It's hard to believe that he's making a fool out of a former"single-digit" warrior, but Lugar is inexperienced with his new abilities. He'll either have to learn quickly during the battle and adapt to the situation or be killed. We'll just have to wait and see."

Lugar stands up from one knee and slowly pulls out each blade from his back. Ichigo watches in surprise as each wound quickly heals.

"High-speed Regeneration?...."

"You're gonna pay for that, boy!"

Lugar roars as a red light begins to grow inside of his "hollow hole" while his yoki/reiatsu rises.

"What the hell, a Cero?!" Ichigo says, surprised.

"EAT THIS, YOU LITTLE SH**!!"

A giant red beam shoots out from Lugar's chest, disintegrating the falling snow in its path. At the last second, Ichigo disappears, causing the Cero to miss and collide with the face of the eastern mountain. The sound of the explosion can be heard for miles as Ichigo reappears directly behind Lugar again, but....

"GOTCHA, BOY!"

"Wha..?!"

A Cero discharges from the backside of Lugar's hollow hole, striking an unprepared Ichigo in the chest which sends him flying towards the same boulder where Miria is hiding. Ichigo slams into the big rock with enough force to kill an ordinary human, drops to his knees then falls face first into the deep snow.

"Ichigo!"

"Damn, this isn't good," Miria says in a low voice, "If I'm found out...."

"You might want to get out of there." a voice says to her.

"Who's there?"

"I don't think now's the time to ask questions."

Miria hurries away without being detected and heads towards the voice while drawing her sword in preparation for a possible fight. She looks around but doesn't sense any yoki in the immediate vicinity. The person hiding in the shadows finally makes his appearance, surprising Miria a little.

"So, it's you.......Louvre (Rubel)" *****

"What's wrong, you don't seem too happy to see me. I, on the other hand, am quite happy to see you. I was hoping that you didn't get killed in Pieta."

"For some reason, I don't believe you. Anyways, what do you want?"

"Always to the point, eh. You haven't changed."

"I'll ask one more time, what do you want?"

"I just want to give you some information, but we should go to a "safer" location, maybe deeper into the forest."

The two travel away from the area of the battle until they come to a location, thick with trees and shrubs.

"What's this information that you want to tell me?"

"It's about what's happening here."

"You know what's going on?"

"I know quite a lot of things, it's what I do."

"If you're done admiring yourself...."

"Well, the name of the person who started all of this is.....Xeger."

"Xeger?"

"Yes, he was originally one of the researchers that developed the process to combine Yoma flesh and blood with humans."

"Go on."

"As you know, the first generation of warriors that the Organization created were failures. The decision to only use males for the first experiments was due to Xeger's insistence, which of course ended with disastrous results. The Organization used Xeger as a scapegoat and he was exiled from the Organization then 'thrown to the wolves', so to speak. The Organization didn't expect him to survive in a land full of Yoma, but somehow, he managed to. I believe he was rescued by an Awakened Being in exchange for something."

"Exchange for what?"

"I'm not sure exactly, it could be anything. What I do know is that he's recently continued his experiments again."

"Experiments? Do you mean he might be trying to create controlled Awakened Beings?"

"No, he's creating something else. Something......worse."

"Worse than an Awakened Being?!"

"Yes, possibly even worse than the Abyssal Ones."

"....worse than the Abyssal Ones?...."

"Unbelieveable I know, but.....You did sense that boy's yoki as well as those other two large creatures, did you not?"

"Yes but....."

"Well, didn't it feel quite different than a Yoma's? More powerful in a way."

"Yes, but what does it all mean?"

"Simple, those three are not from here."

"Do you mean from these lands?"

"I mean from this world."

"What?!...."

"Xeger found a way to open a "doorway" to a different world, maybe even a different reality......I'm not certain which."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I've been here for the past few weeks, watching."

"And you haven't been discovered?"

"How are they going to find a person that doesn't resonate any yoki."

"......"

"They kidnapped a whole town and brought them to this valley. After all of them were gathered, Xeger sent out a horde of Yoma to massacre everyone. When a large number of the town was killed, the doorway to the otherside opened. Small at first, but as more people were killed it grew in size. After awhile, strange creatures began appearing. What was strange about these things were the large holes in their chest and the white mask covering their faces."

"Hole in their chest?...." Miria says in a whisper.

"Well, these creatures began to battle with the Yoma, I guess they were fighting for the right to the food source.....the humans. When a large number of Yoma were killed, those huge creatures began to appear. The first one appeared about two weeks ago then these other two only a few hours."

"I'm only guessing here, but I believe Xeger is using these creatures for his current experiments. These creatures are quite powerful, can you imagine if....."

"You mean he's combining those creatures with humans?"

"No, I think he's combining those creatures with Yoma and even Awakened Beings."

"What you're saying sounds a little extraordinary."

"Look at the Awakened one this boy is fighting, don't you notice anything different with his Yoki or the hole in his chest?"

"Actually, I did notice. I didn't know what to make of it at the time."

"Well, from what I could gather, he's part Awakened Being and part.....whatever those creatures are. I also know that he's a former single digit. Although, I do not know which number."

"Single digit?!"

"I believe this is only the first phase, however. Xeger is looking for more powerful creatures to complete his experiments. After the boy killed the second creature, Xeger wasted no time in going after him."

"Can he really accomplish all of this? What's his ultimate goal?"

"I"m afraid when it comes to Xeger, anything is possible. He's actually quite brilliant, in a mad sort of way. But I'm sure revenge against the Organization is only part of his motivation. If he were to succeed with these experiments, he'll be able to shift the balance of power his way. It's quite possible that neither the Organization or their enemy abroad will have the power to oppose him."

"I don't need to tell you what would happen if no one stops him. The boy is the key to all of this. I don't know how he's connected to those creatures, but I do believe he could be either our salvation or the instument of our destruction."

"So in other words, you feel that I should....."

"Exactly Miria, I think it would be in all of our best interests if you do everything you can to......help this boy."

**End of Chapter 4**

***** _Louvre is Rubel's original name in the Japanese version_


	5. Chapter 5: Fall from Grace

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes: I would like to apologize for the long wait. This chapter was actually the most difficult to write due to all the fight sequences. I would like to thank everyone again for the reviews and support. I'd like to personally thank **The Doorstopper **for some great advice (I know it's still not close to perfect, but I hope it shows some improvement). Although I feel that I've made some minor improvements with regards to my writing and story-telling, I've still got a long way to go. Hopefully, I'll get better as time goes on._

**____________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 5: Fall From Grace**

Southeast of Pieta.

Darkness surrounds Ichigo. He hears nothing but his own beating heart, nothing but the calm silence, until...

"**Get up loser**"

"Huh....what?..."

"**You're such a weakling, it's a miracle that you've survived this long**."

"Who said that?!"

"**Actually, I take that back, it's not a miracle.....it's because of the inner Hollow. What did you call him? Oh, that's right......Ogihci**."

"That's not true...I...."

"**Don't bullsh** yourself. The Hollow saved your life too many damn times. You even use his powers to make yourself stronger because deep down inside, you're nothing more than a helpless child**."

"Screw you, you damn bastard!!"

"**The truth hurts doesn't it**?"

"There's no truth in what you're saying!"

"**Really, so you're saying that Byakuya Kuchiki wouldn't have killed you in that fight if Ogihci didn't interfere. Man, you really are in denial**!"

"I could have beaten him....without his help..."

"**YOU REALLY ARE FULL OF IT!! Byakuya had you dead to rights. You were helpless, you couldn't move. If "He" didn't show up, you would be six feet under right now**."

"....I...."

"**Do you know what you're problem is? You're too damn righteous, you want to help everyone. Hell, you even want to help your enemies**!"

"What?!"

"**Come on, you wanted to cut off your arm and leg so you can have a "fair" fight with Ulquiorra because you felt that you weren't the one responsible for his injuries. What a load of crap!! Don't you get it stupid, it was YOU!! It was your body, your zanpakuto and your powers that finished him off. Maybe not consciously, but it was definitely you. Maybe I shouldn't blame you though, you are just a moronic simpleton anyway, it's probably because of the way you were raised**."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!"

"**You've got so much potential, it's scary. It makes me really jealous, to be honest. If I had all that power, I'd lay waste to everything and everyone in my way. I'd kill anyone who pisses me off....enemy, family or friends......Oh, and another thing, what the hell is the matter with you? You have all these beautiful women around and......you do nothing?! Personally, I like to get my hands on Orihime and**...."

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?!! I SAID SHUT UP DAMMIT!! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

"**What, you haven't guessed yet? You really are stupid**...."

".....Ogihci?!...."

"**No, moron. I've been here long before "he" showed up. O.K., I'll give you a hint. **_**The more you look into me, the more I'll look into you**_**......Still don't know, do you? You're hopeless. Well, don't worry, you'll find out soon enough because.....I'm coming for you, Ichigo. HAHAHAHA**!"

Ichigo awakens, screaming at the top of his lungs. He looks around, somewhat disoriented and slowly gets up from the ground. He picks up his zanpakuto with both hands, slightly shaking. "Who the hell...was....that?!" he thinks to himself, "Now's not the time, I gotta finish this fight with Lugar first." Ichigo stands up, looking slightly battered and quickly moves down the hill, stopping just a few feet in front of Lugar while raising his zanpakuto in a defensive position.

"IMPOSSIBLE!! How the hell did you survive my attack?!!" Lugar shouted, visibly shocked.

"Huh? You mean your Cero?....I have to admit, you caught me off guard with that, but I withstood a point-blank Cero from the number 4 Espada* and trust me, you're nowhere near his level."

"Cero? Espada? I have no clue what you're talking about, but if you think that you could take me lightly....."

"I don't take anyone lightly....not anymore."

"So why not use your full strength then?"

"......."

"I thought so. Just because you wield a sword, don't assume that you're more superior."

Lugar walks over to one of the fallen Claymore, stomps on her arm and takes the sword from her grasp.

"Valerie!" Galatea yells.

"Dammit, leave her alone!"

"Instead of worrying about others, boy....worry about yourself!"

Lugar speeds toward Ichigo, extending the finger blades on his left hand while holding the Claymore's sword in his right. He swings at Ichigo's left side, slashes right then a diagonal attack to his neck. Ichigo dodges the first two attacks and blocks the third. He pushes away and tries to counter-attack with a downward slash, but Lugar side-steps and spins clock-wise, bringing the sword around for a lateral strike to Ichigo's head. Ichigo disappears for a slit second, avoiding the killing stroke then swings his zanpakuto at Lugar's midsection. Lugar quickly moves backwards to avoid the attack then launches himself forward with a sword thrust, aiming for Ichigo's chest. Ichigo avoids it, but doesn't see the second attack from Lugar's left hand, which slashes his right shoulder. He grunts as blood trickles from the wound, down along his arm and onto the ground.

"First blood, boy."

Ichigo charges forward, clashing swords which causes a multitude of sparks to fly. Lugar tries a slashing uppercut with his left hand, but Ichigo moves his head out of the way and drives his foot into Lugar's solar plexus, pushing him backwards several feet. Both pause for a second as Lugar coughs up blood. He roars as they both charge at each other, clashing swords again. The six spikes on Lugar's back begins to vibrate rapidly. Both warriors attack each other with slashes, swings, stabs and thrusts while the other evades, blocks and parry's, neither able to get the upper hand until....

"What the hell?!"

The two lower spikes shoot out from Lugar's back and fly towards Ichigo. He deflects both with his zanpakuto, but gets slashed in the chest by Lugar's finger blades.

"ARGH!!"

"Ha! Still think you can beat me?!"

Ichigo swings wide while holding his chest, but misses Lugar who steps a few feet back, grinning.

"I will beat....you!"

"Really?"

Ichigo hears a high-pitched buzz coming from behind and turns to look. The spikes he deflected earlier, comes flying back at him, like a pair of boomerangs. He blocks one, but the other slams into his back and sends him flying several feet into the air. Lugar sees the opportunity to attack and swings the claymore vertically, cutting Ichigo in his abdomen. He falls to the ground, landing on one knee as blood gushes out from the open wounds. The "boomerang spikes" come around again for another pass as Lugar moves in for the kill.

"Ungh..."

"**What the hell are you doing, Ichigo?! Trying to get yourself killed**?!"

"What?..."

"**Get your sorry ass up and kill this guy already. Screw fair fight, screw honor. This is all about kill or be killed, using any means necessary to win**. **When you finally realize that, maybe you'll stop getting your ass kicked so much**."

"SCREW YOU, YOU BASTARD!"

"**You're such a fool!** **Your funeral then. Don't say I didn't warn you.**"

Ichigo looks up to see both the boomerang spikes and Lugar heading his way. He holds Zangetsu to his left as the visible, black spiritual energy (reiryoku) begins to build around the sword's blade.

"Getsuga.....TEN..SHO!!"

Ichigo swings his sword and releases an enormous "Kuroi Getsuga" which cuts both boomerang spikes in two. The black wave of energy engulfs Lugar and explodes on impact, hurtling him into the nearby rocks.

"What was that?" says a shocked Galatea.

"This boy is dangerous." Miria says while observing the battle from higher ground, "Louvre could be correct, helping him might be in the best interest for us all. If those people are able to capture and use him for their experiments successfully, then....."

Bloodied and battered, Lugar slowly gets up, breathing heavily. Three of the four remaining spikes on his back have fractured and broken off, leaving one slightly protruding. Parts of his bone armor have fragmented, exposing some of the torn flesh underneath.

"You...you...bastard....I...I'm....go...gonna kill....you."

Lugar raises both hands and fires a volley of finger blades at Ichigo. He launches another Kuroi Getsuga, destroying each one in mid-flight. Lugar quickly moves away from the path of the attack and Ichigo gives chase, appearing in front of him, blocking his route of escape and simultaneously severing off his right hand. While reeling back in pain, he shoots off several more volleys of blades from his remaining hand while Ichigo begins to circle him with speed that defies belief. His rate of motion creates several dozen after-images, causing the blades to collide with one another.

"How the f**k does he move so damn fast?! I'm having a difficult time following him and controlling the blades!"

"How's he able to do that?" Miria questions in astonishment, "He's moving so fast that he's creating numerous images of himself, almost like my 'Mirage' technique.....but far more superior."

As Galatea watches the battle in amazement, she notices Morgan trying to get up slowly from the ground and moves hastily to her aid.

"I'm alright Captain....but Valerie needs help, I think she's still unconscious."

"I'll get her, just go and find cover!" Galatea responds, moving towards the fallen Claymore

Frustrated, Lugar fires a Cero which Ichigo easily evades, not realizing at the time that Morgan is directly in the Cero's line of fire. At the last moment, Ichigo quickly moves in front of her and deflects Lugar's attack with his sword, cutting it in half. He then turns to face his opponent.

"You're finished, Lugar. I'm gonna end this."

Using the power of Getsuga to increase the strength and physical force of Zangetsu's blade, he runs forward then disappears. Realizing that Ichigo is about to mount an attack, Lugar opens his mouth and extends his whip-like tongue, grabbing Galatea by her neck. Ichigo reappears in front of him, raising his zanpakuto above his head, but before he can deal the finishing blow, Lugar places Galatea inbetween them. Ichigo stops his blade just short of her head as Lugar extends his finger blades through her back and into his midsection. They both scream in pain. Ichigo staggers backwards then drops to both knees.

"You....used her as....as a....a human shield?!" Ichigo says while nearly passing out.

"CAPTAIN!!" screams Morgan

"Damn, the boy could possibly lose. I've got to do something." Miria thinks to herself.

"Do you know what makes you weaker than me?"

"......"

"Your foolish need to protect everyone, even strangers. That's your downfall, boy. I'm the one who's gonna put an end to this."

Darkness begins to envelop Ichigo once again.

"**I warned you, didn't I**?"

"huh?"

"**Look at her, she's going to die....again because of you. LOOK AT HER ICHIGO**!"

Slowly he raises his head to look, but instead of seeing Galatea, he sees......his Mother.

"....no..."

"**Yeah, she died before, because of you. Now, she's going to die again....for the same reason**."

"...No!..."

"**YES**!"

Lugar, holding Galatea by her neck, pulls the blades from her back and tosses her to the side. She falls limp on the ground, barely moving. Ichigo sees his "Mother" bleeding to death.

"NOOOO!"

"**Kill him**"

"Kill"

"**KILL HIM**!"

"kill....him"

"**KILL....KILL....KILL....KILL**!"

He slowly picks up his zanpakuto and suddenly vanishes. Lugar tries to grab Galatea again with his tongue, but Ichigo reappears and cuts it off, along with a large portion of his bottom jaw. Lugar howls in pain as Ichigo slashes his body several times, severing his ear, left arm and right leg. In an act of desperation, Lugar charges a Cero while falling to the ground.

"Go...to hell...."

"**DIE**!"

Ichigo stabs him in the eye with Zangetsu, the blade piercing the back of Lugar's skull as he lifts him high over his head.

"**Getsuga Tensho**."

Lugar's head is literally ripped apart by the black mass of energy as the rest of his body falls to the ground. Miria and Morgan are left with fear and dread as they watch a berserk Ichigo continue the assault on Lugar's corspe with an unrelenting onslaught of Getsuga's, until nothing is left but a smoldering husk. Xeger and the rest of his group finally make their appearance. Ichigo, sensing more reiatsu/yoki, turns to face them. He begins to raise his reiatsu, holding Zangetsu tightly in his right hand.

"Is this Xeger's group?" Miria thinks to herself, "If it is, I need to get down there without being spotted. There's no possible way he can handle all four of them by himself...."

"It's too bad we couldn't save Lugar."

"Yes, not much of his body remains to be of any use. It's just as well, he proved useful until the end. Now I know for a fact that this boy is definitely the one I've been waiting for to complete my experiments. To be able to defeat an awakened, former single-digit, strengthened by these Hollow creatures is an amazing feat."

"**Who the hell are you**?"

"We've come here to take you with us, dead or alive. I would like to avoid further unnecessary bloodshed, but that's up to you. I can care less which one you choose."

"**My choice, huh**?"

"Yes, but choose wisely."

"**Wisely?** **Well then, I guess I'm gonna choose to.....**"

Placing his left hand over his forehead, he begins to summon his Hollow mask. It quickly materializes above his head.

"**KILL YOU ALL**!"

**End of Chapter 5**

*****_Bleach Chapter 340_


	6. Chapter 6: A Show of Force

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ I would like to thank everyone again for your reviews and support. This chapter went through a few revisions because I didn't like how the first draft was written. I made many changes to the original, but I'm still not happy with this version. I'm planning to revise it again if I get some more ideas, but at the moment, I think I have writers block. Please review and let me know what kind of improvements I can make. Thanks again everyone._

_To The Doorstopper: Yeah, I realize I'm still giving exacting details, but I'm learning not to use it as much (I think). Hopefully, my writing will improve given more time and experience. BTW thanks for the review! _

**_______________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 6: A Show of Force**

Southeast of Pieta.

Five men stand in the midst of death, destruction and chaos. On one side, a former Organization scientist along with a small group of former Claymore soldiers turned Awakened Beings. On the other side, a substitute Shinigami named Ichigo Kurosaki who was accidently transported to this world by strange forces beyond his control. Several other individuals watch from the sidelines as the situation unfolds. These individuals include a group of five Claymore warriors, four of which are injured or incapacitated, a mysterious Organization member dressed in all black and a former single-digit Claymore warrior. Ichigo's intentions are quite clear, as are the four other men involved. They plan on using him to complete experiments which will create enormously powerful awakened beings, possibly more powerful than any of the three Abyssal Ones. Ichigo plans on killing every single one of them. Normally, he needed a reason to fight someone. This time however, something is different, his demeanor has changed, there's a blood lust building up inside him. He will not stop until everyone is dead.

"**I guess I'm just gonna choose to....KILL YOU ALL!**"

Placing his left hand over his forehead, he begins to summon his Hollow mask. It quickly materializes above his head, alarming everyone in the immediate area.

"He's got a....white mask?!" Miria says, stupefied.

"Interesting...."

"So you've got a mask just like those Hollow creatures," states Xeger, "I'd be correct to assume that you're a Hollow as well or some type of Hollow/human hybrid, akin to the Organiztion's Yoma/human hybrid soldiers. Am I correct?"

"**First of all, I don't give a sh*t about what you're saying and second, it's not gonna matter anyway because I'm about to beat all of you to death.**"

"I see. And how exactly are you going to accomplish this feat? Just because you were able to defeat one of my men, I highly doubt you will be able to defeat the remaining three, especially in your current condition.

"**You sure do talk a lot, I think I'm going to kill you first.**"

"You're very arrogant, considering the company you're in. Despite your massive power you're still no match for the remaining warriors. The only one to be of slight help to you is Galatea and at the moment, she's incapacitated. There is no one else."

"**Shut up.** **I'm really gonna enjoy ripping that tongue out of your mouth.**"

"Your threats do not amuse me. I really wanted to avoid further bloodshed, but you've forced my hand. Reinhart, Lovino, Galiver....kill this silly, little boy, but be certain to bring back enough usable material....especially his mask."

Xeger steps back as the three men begin to release their yoma/hollow powers. Ichigo stares at them, unimpressed, placing his hand over the mask. Just then, Miria makes a sudden appearance with her sword drawn.

"**Who the hell are you?**"

"Hmmn......her name is "Phantom" Miria, former number six who was assumed killed in the battle at Pieta along with 23 other Claymores, not long ago. It would seem that the information was inaccurate."

"You...know about me?"

"Obviously. I was wondering if you were going to make an appearance, although at the time, I wasn't exactly sure who you were."

"So, you knew I was here all along?"

"Yes, even though you're using yoki suppression medicine, I can still sense you. I also know that Louvre is here as well. He's been here for quite some time observing us. You're probably wondering why I haven't yet silenced him. The answer to that question is quite simple. I'd rather not waste time or effort to bother with an insect that poses no threat to us. If he were to inform the Organization about my activities, I'm certain they would try to activate Alicia and Beth, but neither are ready for a battle of this magnitude, they'll just be lambs to the slaughter."

"Number 1 and 2?..."

"Yes. Anyhow, the Organization is currently busy with other.....things, to be concerned with us."

".....I know what you're planning Xeger, I'll do everything I can to stop you."

"Oh? You're willing to risk your life for a stranger?"

"No, not for him, but for the rest of us that'll be caught up in your power struggle."

"And what exactly can you do to stop me?"

"**Move! You're in the way.**"

Ichigo swings his zanpakuto at Miria, but only manages to slice through her "mirage" as she reappears several feet away.

"What're you doing? I'm trying to help!"

"**Did I ask for your help?**"

"What?"

"**I never asked for, or do I even need your help.**"

"You arrogant....."

"**Don't get in my way. If you do, I'll cut you down.**"

"Excuse me?"

Ichigo slides his mask over his face and suddenly, he's engulfed by an explosion of black reiryoku. The sheer downpour of his reiatsu is so dense and heavy that it threatens to suffocate everyone in close proximity. This mask, however is slightly different and seemingly more powerful than his previous one, with two large vertical stripes starting from the top of the mask, running down over both of its eyes and past its mouth.

"What's....happening?...this pressure I'm feeling again....it's worse than....before." Morgan says with a heavy breath.

"Sh*t!! What the hell did he do this time?"

"What is this? His yoki dramatically increased and is still rising exponentially." a surprised, but fascinated Xeger states, "The energy he's putting forth is so vast that it's destructively affecting the surrounding area. It feels as though my chest is being crushed. With this much power, I need to....."

"Something's different. His yoki has gotten so immense that I can feel it somehow affecting....probably even changing my own yoki." says a surprised Miria, "Should I help or kill him before he becomes a threat to this world? "

As soon as Ichigo's black reiryoku dissipates, everyone bears witness to his Hollow form. The glaring stare from his black and yellow eyes causes fear to grow within Xeger as well as the two Claymores. His voice becomes deeper and more ominous with a reverberating echo.

"**You're all going to die....**"

".....Reinhart, fall back."

"What?"

"At everyone's current level, none of you are a match for him. I miscalculated."

"No! I detest fleeing!" an angry Lovino growls, "I would rather die fighting!"

"I've gotta agree! We're warriors, we don't retreat!"

"You'll be three dead warriors if you don't."

"He's right, both of you," Reinhart responds, "The boy has gotten a lot stronger since putting on that mask. We'll have another chance to avenge Lugar when the time is right, but for now, follow orders."

"Alright, we'll listen this time...."

"Reinhart, Lovino, Galiver....collect the cadaver of that Hollow which the boy defeated and regroup at the pre-determined location. Its power level should be enough to continue the experiments for the moment. We're finished here." orders Xeger.

"**None of you are going...anywhere.**"

Ichigo swings his zapakuto and releases a tidal wave of black energy with a destructive force of a dozen Getsuga.

"Everyone scatter!"

The four of them split up in different directions, locating and collecting different parts of the fallen Gillian while narrowly avoiding Ichigo's attack. They regroup at the rallying point in the southern part of the valley and swiftly move Southwest, towards the mountainous region of Zakol. A blizzard begins to blow into the valley, causing near-whiteout conditions and extremely low visibility.

**Hmph, running away like pus*ies. I should hunt them all down.....but first."**

He looks over to Miria.

"**It's your fault.**"

"Excuse me?!"

"**If you didn't show up when you did, they'd all be dead right now.**"

"I told you before, I came here to help you!"

"**No, you came here to help yourself, not me. Now, I'm gonna take my anger out on you.**"

"What?"

Ichigo swings his zanpakuto at Miria again, but like before he doesn't hit anything except her mirage. However, as soon as she reappears, he appears next to her and grabs her by the throat.

"**You** **showed me that trick already, you're gonna need a new one.**"

"Wha....what're you...you...doing...."

"**I'm gonna snap your neck for pissing me off.**"

He looks down to stare at her body.

"**On second thought, you're pretty attractive....maybe I'll have some fun with you before....**"

"PUT HER DOWN!"

"**Huh?**"

"I SAID PUT HER DOWN....NOW!"

Ichigo turns his head to see Morgan, Tiffany and Laura with their swords drawn.

"**You've got three seconds to leave...."**

The three Claymores stand their ground

"**What a waste. Well, can't be helped, I guess.**"

Ichigo disappears, dropping Miria to the ground then reappearing in front of the Claymores. He quickly kicks Tiffany in her head then using the blunt side of his zanpakuto, strikes Laura in her midsection, effectively knocking them out in a matter of seconds. Morgan begins to release her Yoma powers, turning her eyes golden-yellow and snake-like as Ichigo looks on in curiosity. She continues releasing more yoki, distorting her face and body and becoming more bestial.

"**Huh?**"

"STOP!" Miria Yells, "You're pushing yourself past your limit! If you keep going, you're going to awaken!"

"**Awaken?**"

Ichigo grabs Morgan by the face, throws her high in the air then slams her hard into the ground, knocking her unconscious. He presses the tip of Zangetsu against her neck.

"**Too bad, you repugnant bitch, I'm gonna kill you sooner than I wanted......Getsuga...** "

He glances over to Galatea's motionless body.

"**....Getsuga Ten...ten**....what...the hell....was I about to do?!"

He lowers his zanpakuto while dispelling the Hollow mask and stares at his quivering hand.

"What the....what am I becoming? WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPEINING TO ME?!!"

"You seem to be back to normal, so I'm putting an end to this while I've got the opportunity."

Ichigo turns to see Miria pressing her blade against his neck.

"You've become a greater threat than Xeger and his people. I've got no choice but to kill you."

"...but I..."

"You may think you're innocent, but after what I witnessed, it seems your own power is consuming you. Your split personality is a testament to that."

"...split personality?..."

"What, you don't remember how you suddenly turned into a psychotic maniac, trying to kill everything in sight?"

"....I do, but it didn't seem real. It seemed more like a dream, like I was watching myself from the outside."

"Well, trust me, it was very real."

"....I....Galatea!!"

Ichigo pushes Miria's sword away and runs over to Galatea's location. He drops his zanpakuto and carefully checks her for any signs of life.

"Galatea....Galatea....are you....o.k.?"

"She'll be fine. Her wounds aren't too severe."

"What do you mean not too severe?! She was stabbed in the back!...."

"She's a defensive-type warrior, giving her a greater ability to heal. To her, these wounds are minor, but she'll still need some time to do so. With the weather worsening, she'll also need a safe place to rest."

"Then please do me a favor."

"....What is it?"

"Take those other women to safety."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I'm taking Galatea to a safe place."

"You know, we're not finished here. I still have to.....deal with you."

"Deal with me later. I don't think I'll be going anywhere, in awhile. I constantly leak out a lot of reiatsu, so it shouldn't be too hard to find me."

"...reiatsu?..."

Miria watches as Ichigo picks Galatea up and carries her off, vanishing in the heavy snowfall. She turns around and walks towards the group of fallen Claymores.

"I've got to decide exactly what I'm going to do with him......what's this, he left his....?"

Miria bends down and picks up Ichigo's zanpakuto as black reiatsu begins to slowly form around her arm. She feels a cold shiver run down her spine.

"What's....happening?"

As the Blizzard intensifies, the faint outline of an unknown figure begins to appear then quickly fade in the violent snowstorm. The person utters a single name while laughing maniacally.

"KUROSAKI."

**End of Chapter 6**


	7. Chapter 7: Twin Souls

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ I would like to apologize for the long wait, but I was on a much needed vacation. I finally finished this chapter at 2:00 a.m. in the morning (although, I forgot to publish it). Due to some time constraints, I didn't have a chance to read over this beforehand. If you find any mistakes or this chapter just doesn't make any sense, please let me know. Again, I would like to thank everyone for your reviews and support._

_*Updated 7/23/2009: I would like to give special thanks to **The Doorstopper** and **yume girl 91** for informing me of some issues with this chapter, which I corrected._

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 7: Twin Souls **

Unknown location.

Miria finds herself cautiously walking forward, unaware of her current surroundings due to the heavy fog that seems to stretch for miles. The silence is almost deafening and definitely eerie.

"Where am I, what is this place? How did I get here?" she thinks to herself, "I'm barely able to see in front of me and this ground feels....different, it's as though I'm stepping on glass."

She continues walking slowly in the same direction until she comes across something unusual.

"What is this?" asking herself aloud, "It looks like the boy's sword before he transfomed. Why is it stuck into the ground like this?"

Reaching for the Zanpakuto, she stops before actually making contact with it.

"Wait.....the last time I touched his sword, I ended up here.....in this strange place."

"_What're you so afraid of_?"

"What? Who's there? Who said that?

"_I did.....do you see anyone else around_?"

Miria turns around, scanning the surrounding area, but doesn't see anyone. She quickly turns back to face the zanpakuto.

"Where are you? Who....are you?!"

"_Who am I?....I'm Zangetsu._"

She looks down to realize the deep, somewhat menacing voice is coming from the zanpakuto.

"The sword is.....talking?! How?......Wait, did you say, Zangetsu?"

"_Yes_."

"Isn't that the name the boy calls his sword?"

"_Yes_."

"How is it possible that I'm talking to a sword?"

"_You have many questions, but time is a luxury we don't have. So, I'll try to answer as much as I can. I am Ichigo's zanpakuto_."

"Zanpakuto?"

"_Unlike a normal sword, which is practically just a tool created by those of the living, a zanpakuto is the physical manifestation of a Death God's soul, concentrated in the form of a sword, used to send the spirits of the dead to the Soul Society and also, to exorcise evil spirits_."

"Death God? Soul Society?"

"_A race of spiritual beings whose main purpose is to maintain the balance of souls between the world of the living and the afterlife, which is called the Soul Society_."

"You said.....spiritual. What exactly do you mean by that? Are you saying that this boy, Ichigo is some kind of spirit?"

"_More or less. He's actually human, who at times, substitutes as a Death God when the need arises_."

"What about those giant creatures with holes in the center of their bodies, are they spirits as well?"

"_Yes_. _They're called Hollows, corrupt spirits with spiritual powers. They devour the souls of the deceased as well as the living_. _As with all spiritual beings, they are invisible to those in the world of the living, except for the few humans with a substantial amount of spiritual powers_."

"Well, if they are suppose to be invisible, how is it possible that we are able to see them? This includes Louvre, a normal human."

"_That's someting I can't answer, your world is strange, even to me_. _We were pulled into this world by forces beyond my understanding_."

"Then answer this, where am I and how did I get here?"

"_You're inside Ichigo's Inner World, a type of physical manifestation of his subconscious. For some reason, I was able to bring you here. Your souls seem to be connected somehow. The only logical explanation is......You are his twin soul_."

"Twin soul?"

"_The one and only other half of one's soul, for which all souls are driven to find and join. The ultimate soulmate_."

"Soulmate?! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard......besides he tried to kill me."

"_It wasn't him, so to speak_."

"What do you mean?"

"_He was temporarily.....possessed by the same __**one**__ that trapped us.....sealed us within this sword._"

"Who is _us_ and what do you mean by _sealed?"_

"_Myself and the Hollow inside Ichigo's soul, who is a part of me_."

"A Hollow inside his soul?! A part of you?!"

"_That is unimportant for the moment, because the Hollow was unexpectedly subdued by __**him**__. We were forced into this form, then plunged deep into the ground, unable to escape. Because of that, I was able to take control.....for the time being. In our current state, I am unable to help Ichigo in anyway, but he can still access our powers."_

"Who is it that trapped you here?"

_"Something.....wicked and evil. The more Ichigo's heart and mind are tormented, the stronger __**he**__ becomes, until __**he**__ takes full control of Ichigo. In this world, the sky is usually blue, but when Ichigo's heart is in chaos, the sky becomes clouded. When he grieves, it rains so easily. What do you see before you?"_

"Fog.....and it seems to be getting.....thicker."

"_Precisely. If __**he**__ is able to take over, you and your world could possibly be in terrible danger_."

"I saw Ichigo's power first hand, he seems more of a menace than any of the Awakened Beings that reside on these lands."

"_What you saw, was just a fraction of Ichigo's power, which he is currently only able to tap into. I'm certain that if the __**other**__ takes control, he'll quickly learn to utilize all of it_."

"Just a fraction?....."

"_Yes_."

"What do you need from me? Are you asking me to free you? Pull you out from the ground?"

"_I'm afraid you don't have the ability to do that. There's only one person who can and that's Ichigo, himself_."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"_Help him, make sure he doesn't succumb to the evil that's building within him_."

"You want me to help him? If I were to agree, which I sincerely have the utmost reservations about, what makes you think I can accomplish such a task?"

"_I can't force you to do anything, you must make that decision yourself and if you are who I believe you are, you CAN do this_."

"And if I decide to just kill him before he poses a threat to my world."

"_Do what you must, there's nothing I can do to stop you. But understand this, after arriving in his inner world, Ichigo's immense spiritual energy has already affected you. I doubt you'll be able to kill him without a second thought, like you mentioned_."

"We'll see."

"_Unfortunately_, _our time here's ended_......"

Miria suddenly finds herself standing in the same spot where she picked up Zangetsu, the blanket of snow covering the ground of the valley seems to have gotten deeper.

"I'm.....back. Was it all just a dream?"

She looks around to see several Claymores lying unconscious on the ground, covered in snow. She places Zangetsu in a secure location within her cloak then quickly moves towards the fallen warriors, unaware that her speed has increased by a substantial amount.

"I've got to get these warriors to safety before they freeze to death."

Louvre watches as Miria swiftly moves each Claymore from the valley floor to a forested area within the hills, his creepy smirk seems to grow wider with each passing second. He silently makes his way to Miria's location as she brings the last of the women warriors to safety.

"I see you've managed to rescue all the survivng soldiers in no time at all. However, I don't recall you being able to move that quickly before without the use of your Yoma powers, which is apparent due to your eyes remaining silver in color. You were barely visible, just a blur to my eyes. How were you able to do that, a new power perhaps?""

"So, you're still here."

"How....cold of you."

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about. Anyways, it doesn't matter. What matters is, I was able to save them before they froze."

"Oh, I beg to differ. It matters quite a bit, you see."

"How so?"

"To be honest, it's really none of your concern. By the way, what happened to Number Three after the battle? Visibility was horrible, I could barely see anything below in the valley. Killed maybe? Well, that is what I would like to believe, but sadly, she's too skilled a warrior to be killed so easily. The Organization was hoping to kill two birds with one stone on this mission. Galatea has been becoming quite.....troublesome as of late, so she was sent here along with five others as a "special" team to deal with multiple reports of enormous Yoma and Awakened Being activities somewhere in an area near Pieta. With her skills, even if she failed her mission and her team is killed, at least some of the Yoma threat would have been eliminated and I could report back to the Organization, the exact strength of the enemy, solving both problems."

"Both you and the damn Organization are bastards!"

"Outburts like that doesn't suit a beautiful woman like yourself, so don't say such things, especially seeing as how I care about you dearly."

"Please don't try to patronize me. Anyway, the last I saw Galatea, she fell in battle between the boy and the Awakened One. Her body is probably somewhere in the valley, buried in snow."

"With all that power the boy and Xeger's minion was throwing around, it might actually be a possibility that she was killed. However, I need to make certain by finding her body."

"Be my guest, just don't expect me to look for her. Do it yourself."

"Heh, maybe I'll just take your word for it."

"Maybe you should."

"One last thing, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to see if I can help that boy......or kill him if he becomes a threat."

"I see."

"If that's all, I'll take my leave now."

Miria moves down the hill and enters the valley, walking in the same direction as Ichigo did earlier, disappearing in the unyielding snowstorm.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Southeast of Pieta.

In a cave located in the southern area of the valley, Ichigo waits vigilantly for the storm to subside while Galatea lays on the ground unconscious, covered by his coat. The snow continues to fall relentlessly outside with no signs of stopping.

"How long's this snow gonna fall? It seems like I've been here for days." Ichigo thinks to himself.

Just then, Galatea begins to slowly regain consciousness.

"Whe.....where am.....I?"

"We're in a cave, safely out of that damn blizzard."

"Ugh.....damn..."

"Hey, try not to move. You've been injured, stabbed in the back all the way through your stomach. Just rest and give yourself some time to heal!"

"Though I appreciate the concern, it's not needed. I can heal myself rather quickly if I concentrate. These wounds are nothing but an annoyance."

"That's what the other lady said to me."

"Other lady?"

"Yeah, the one wearing a cloak and hood. She has a huge sword like yours."

"Hmph, I thought I sensed _her_ here. So, she didn't perish in that battle after all. I wonder who else survived."

"What're you talking about?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself. It's no concern of yours. Anyway, thanks for the coat, but I don't need it. If you really want to help, collect some wood and kindle a fire, it's going to get even colder soon."

"Uh, kindle a fire? How, I normally don't carry matches."

"Matches?"

"Uh, these things that...uh...make fire."

"Here, use this."

Galatea throws a small leather sack at Ichigo.

"What is it?"

"Is education in your world terribly limited or something?"

"...no..."

Ichigo opens the sack and pulls out a small metal container.

"Uhhh...."

"It's called a tinderbox. Inside is everything essential to kindle a fire. For such a strong warrior as yourself, basic survival skills is something you're truly lacking. Now, if we're done with this "basic lesson", don't bother me for awhile....need to start healing myself."

"Uh....sure."

Using the flint, firesteel and tinder contained within as well as some wood he collected, Ichigo creates a small bonfire. Sitting near the warmth of the fire, he watches as Galatea quickly mends her wounds.

"That sure is amazing, if you ask me."

"What is?"

"How fast you healed yourself."

"Defensive-type warriors are endowed with the ability to self-heal rapidly. We are also able to regenerate lost limbs."

"....that sounds like someone I knew once...." *****

"You seem to have stopped the bleeding from your wounds."

"Oh, a.....friend of mine, Ikkaku, once gave me some of his special blood-clotting ointment, which is what I used."

"How nice of him."

"Yeah..."

"By the way, I noticed you are without your sword."

"I must've dropped it while bringing you here."

"That's quite careless of you. A warrior should never misplace one's weapon."

"Yeah....well, I haven't been myself lately."

"I wouldn't know."

"Anyway, what are you planning to do now. Are you gonna go back to this...._Organization?_"

"No."

"Why?"

"After seeing the Organization's latest experiments, namely the current Number One and Two, I've become rather disgusted with them. They create and employ us as if we were nothing more than a tool to be used for their own ends. Once we are no longer needed, we are simply thrown away and replaced by another. It's an endless cycle. Case in point, they knew the current mission that was given to us was mere suicide with the possiblity of survival extremely low. I'm certain one of their goals was to dispose of the trouble-makers. I've truly had enough."

"How can a group of people have such a low disregard for human life?"

"We aren't human to them. They see us as the same creatures we are ordered to hunt down and kill.

"That's just.....horrible."

"That's a pretty big understatement."

"Well, what are you going to do then?'

"......I've been planning this for the past few weeks and you just may have given me the opportunity. The remaining warriors will report me missing or most likely killed in battle. When they find out I'm not dead, I'll be branded as a deserter and be marked for death. My only haven would be a place where the Organization's soldiers are not allowed."

"Is there such a place like that?"

"I know of one. A city located South of here...."

Outside in the middle of the blizzard, a lone figure stands, waiting and watching. If not for the heavy snowfall, this person's "evil" grin would surely be visible from a great distance.

"Heh....you just don't fu%king change, do you?"

**End of Chapter 7**

***** _he's talking about Ulquiorra (for those that didn't know)_


	8. Chapter 8: Best Served Cold

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ I would like to apologize again for the long wait, but I've been quite busy with several projects and work had me out of town as well, but I was finally able to finish this chapter. I would have published this sooner, but I was having problems logging in. I'll try to get the next chapters out sooner.....well, here's hoping :) Anyway, I know this and the previous chapter had no fighting or any action, but the next ones should have plenty. Once again, if you find any mistakes, please don't hesitate to let me know. And again, I would really like to thank everyone for your reviews, advice and support. _

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 8: Best Served Cold **

Southeast of Pieta.

Morning. The blizzard has subsided, but the snow continues to fall gently. Ichigo awakens to the shuffling sound of metal and steel clanking together. He slowly opens his eyes and watches as Galatea meticulously dons her armor.

"Leaving?"

"Obviously. It's best to depart as soon as possible, before the Organization can track me down."

"I'm coming with you...."

"No, you're not."

"Wha..?"

"First of all, I don't need excess baggage..."

"Excess baggage?!"

"Second, your strange garments, not to mention that strange hair color of yours will draw quite a bit of attention.....attention which I'm trying to avoid during my travel as well as my final destination."

"Well, isn't all that stuff you're wearing gonna attract a lot of attention too?"

"I don't plan I keeping these. Once I feel it's safe to do so, I'm going to rid myself of this armor and find something less conspicuous."

"So, what am I suppose to do? I don't even know where the hell I am!"

"Not that it's any of my concern, but someone is on their way here as we speak. She seems to be looking for something, probably you. She can probably help.....if she doesn't try to kill you first. If you want to take that chance, put forth more of your energy so she can locate you easier."

"Who is...._she_?"

"You'll find out."

Galatea turns to leave.

"Galatea...wait!"

She stops and turns to face Ichigo.

"Oh, by the way, be careful. I've sensed a strange yok....energy nearby since yesterday and it's still out there somewhere. Watch yourself, Ichigo."

"Uhm....another energy? Who or what is it?"

"I don't know. Its signature is similar to yours."

"......"

"Just be careful."

"Thank you, but do you have any idea how I can get home?"

"I'm sorry I can't help you there.

"......"

Look, it's hard to say if we'll ever meet again.....but I wish you luck."

"Yeah....thanks."

"Also, I'll say this only once. Do not follow me."

She slowly turns towards the mouth of the cave and disappears from sight. For some reason, Ichigo feels empty inside.....empty and lonely. The one person he thought of as an ally or even as a friend, is now gone. He remains seated on the cold, damp ground, wondering what he should do. No matter how powerful he's become, he's still a child. A stranger in a strange land with no friends he can call to for help or support. This unknown and dangerous world seems to only have one cruel intent, to take the life of this young Death God, be it for one reason or another.

'Galatea said someone is probably looking for me. More than likely, it's that lady who's looking to kill me.' he thinks to himself while rising from the ground, 'She also said that there's someone else out there. Great.....probably another Hollow and I don't have my zanpakuto.'

"So, this is where you scampered off to."

Ichigo quickly turns around and is surprised to see Miria standing behind him.

"You! how'd you get so close without me noticing your......spiritual energy?"

"You were probably oblivious to my presense because you're deep in thought."

"Yeah, I guess....I seem to get distracted alot nowadays. So, are you here to "deal" with me now? As you can see, I'm practically defenseless.....I don't have my sword with me."

"Oh, are you talking about this?"

She pulls out Zangetsu from beneath her cloak.

"How'd you.....find it?"

"You left it on the ground when you took Galatea to safety. Luckily, I found it and brought it with me. Strangely enough, I also had a conversation with your.....zanpakuto"

"You what?! You spoke with Zangetsu?! HOW?!"

"To be honest, I really don't know. When I picked up your sword, I suddenly found myself surrounded by thick fog. Then I found something that looked like your sword.....it began talking to me."

"What?! You were inside my inner world?! How's that possible?! What did he say? Where's he been all this time?!"

"Calm down. He only told me a few things, mostly about you and how him and your.....inner Hollow have been sealed within the sword."

"Inner Hollow...."

"Yes, that's what he explained to me."

"How could that be? How could they be sealed?! Anyways, I thought Ogihci was the dominate personality right now."

"Who?"

"That's the name of my inner Hollow, at least that's what I decided to call him."

"I see. Well, Zangetsu explained that.....Ogihci was subdued by someone or something."

"Subdued by someone or something? Who or what could be powerful enough to do that and trap both of them?!"

"He didn't say.....all he said was that you would be the only one capable of releasing them and asked me to help you."

"Me? And you're gonna help me?"

"After giving careful thought, I have decided to help you, but make no mistake about it. If you pose even the slightest threat to this world, I will kill you."

"Fair enough. If I do pose a threat, I wouldn't try to stop you."

"We'll see."

"I think my first concern is how I get back home."

"From my understanding, the one named Xeger was responsible for bringing you and those Hollows here."

"Xeger?"

"You don't remember?"

"Sort of. I wasn't exactly myself at the time."

".....Xeger seems to be the leader of the group that attacked you. He's a former Organization researcher who was betrayed by the Organization due to failed experiments which he conducted. This time, he's using those Hollows to continue those same experiments. Whatever he's planning, whatever his endgame is, you seem to be a major part of it now."

"Why me?"

"Isn't it obvious? When you displayed your powers to kill one of his people, you gave him every reason to want you as a specimen. He wants to combine Awakened Beings with powers such as yours to create an extremely powerful creature."

"Awakened Beings?"

"It's what the Organization's soldiers turn into if we surpass our limits when using our Yoma powers. We turn into powerful demons with no humanity left and an insatiable hunger for human innards."

"So, you guys are like half demons?"

"We were created this way by the Organiztion to hunt and kill the Yoma that infest these lands, by implanting those same demons' flesh and blood with humans."

"That is just so damn inhuman! People actually allow this kind of sh%t to happen?"

"Nobody knows about these things except for people associated with the Organization. Normal humans that reside in these lands are too afraid of the Yoma as well as the Organization's soldiers to even question the fact. These atrocities must be stopped as well as the dozen others the Organization commits. I'm going to bring them down somehow, but first we have to deal with Xeger and his group before his plans come to fruition."

"Before you kill him, I'm gonna force him to tell me how to get home and after, I'm gonna help you take down this.....Organization!"

"I appreciate the offer, but the Organization is of no concern to you. I will handle things myself. Sometimes brute force isn't the answer."

"So what're you gonna do?"

"I'm.....working on it."

"I see. So now what?"

"What happened to Galatea?"

"She....left."

"Left?!"

"Yeah, she said she was heading to a place where....your kind is not allowed....whatever that means."

"I see."

Miria extends her arm as she gives Ichigo back his zanpakuto. While taking it from her, they briefly touch hands, causing a strange, fluttery feeling to grow within her stomach.

'His touch," she thinks to herself, "what is this feeling I'm getting? I'm....."

"Uh, are you O.K.? You look kinda confused there for a second."

".....I...I'm fine. Come on, let's find Xeger, put an end to this and send you back home."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes I said.....let's go! By the way, My name is Miria."

She puts her hood over her head as the two leave the confines of the cave.

"Also, we should try to be a little more discreet. Your clothes and hair make you stand out quite a bit, which could be problematic"

"Funny, Galatea said the same thing. Anyway, do you have an extra cloak I can use?"

"No, but we'll get one."

The two begin to travel South, in the same direction where Xeger and the remaining Awakened ones fled.

"By the way, would you happen to have an extra toothbrush? I'm feeling kinda.....dirty."

"An extra what?"

"....Never mind"

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Somewhere in the Zakol Mountains, a few days later.

"How is he?"

"So far, his reaction to the experiment is quite minimal. The implantation of the deceased Hollow into his body is proceeding quite well, with no visible ill effects. I will have to examine him more, once he regains consciousness. If all goes well, he should be just as powerful, if not more, as the boy."

"Do you truly believe he will be able to defeat him? You felt it as well as I, didn't you? After he put that strange mask over his face, his uncanny power went through the roof. I am having doubts whether just one of us will be able to kill him one on one."

"Heh, that's saying alot coming from one of the dreaded "Four Horsemen". Your group raided, plundered and destroyed village after village. Not to mention the countless humans that were killed and eaten. All of this happened in just a span of a few days. From what I gathered as well, it was you people that caused a former number two of the Organization to awaken, as well as the other three soldiers in his group. Even after their awakening, only one barely survived, but even more impressive is the fact that all of you were lower ranked than that former number two.....Rigardo."

"That was.....a long time ago. I have grown wiser and I'm not as foolish and wreckless anymore."

"It's just as well. I need someone with your maturity and strength to lead the horde of Hollowed Awakened Beings I plan on creating."

Reinhart clenches his fist as he stares at his comrade lying silently on the operating table. For the first time in his adult life, he feels powerless at the situation before him.

"I don't feel at ease using my brethren as cannon fodder."

"Nonsense. They are far from cannon fodder, but I feel this is the best way to gauge our target's true strength. If he is more powerful than any of you, losing one is better than losing all of you in a single, hasty engagement."

"Still.....I'm uneasy about all of this."

In an area not too far from Xeger and Reinhart, a furious Galiver paces the room impatiently. The anger within him building greater as the seconds go by. He talks to himself aloud as if another person were in the room with him.

"Why the hell did Xeger pick Lovino to meliorate first?! I want to be the one to kill that mother f%!king kid! That son of a bitch is gonna pay for what he did to Lugar! I'm gonna rip him apart than shove his head up his own ass! I'm gonna kill him and everyone that's helping him! They're all gonna DIE! F#CK THIS!! I'm not waiting any longer!"

In a fit of rage, Galiver punches a gaping hole through the wall and jumps out into the mountainous terrain. Both Xeger and Reinhart immediately notices the explosion of yoki/reiatsu coming from Galiver and quickly travel to his previous location.

"What the hell is he doing? Where is that idiot going?!"

"It's pretty obvious, Xeger. He's out for _**revenge**_. I doubt we'll be able to stop him."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a town North of Rokut.

After several days of traveling, a weary Ichigo convinces Miria to rest at an inn located on the East part of town. Lucky for him Miria has more than enough money to pay for board and lodging. Upon entering, they are warmly greeted by the Innkeeper of the establishment.

"Hello. How can I help you today?"

"Good afternoon. My companion and I need a room. We've been traveling for quite some time and need a place to rest."

"Well, you've definitely come to the right place. How many nights will the two of you be staying?"

"One, possibly two."

As Miria and the innkeeper continue their discussion, Ichigo glances down and is surprised to see a little girl staring up at him. He smiles and bends down to talk to her.

"Hello. My name is Ichigo, what's your name?"

"....."

"So that's where you ran off to."

A woman hurries toward Ichigo and the little girl. She picks up the girl, holding her in her arms and introduces herself as the Innkeeper's wife.

"I'm so sorry, my daughter gets really curious at times, especially when she sees new people. She's also very quite shy."

"Not a problem. She's a very cute girl. She reminds me of my.....little sister."

"That's really sweet. Her name is Miata."

"That's a very beautiful name. It's nice to meet you Miata."

Ichigo smiles while shaking her tiny hand. Miata blushes and hides her face under her Mother's arm.

"I'm sorry to have to run out so quickly, but I need to give Miata her bath and prepare dinner for everyone. It was very nice to meet you."

"You too."

She turns around and walks toward the staircase along with her daughter. Miata turns around, stares at Ichigo, smiles then suddenly waves at him, saying something to his suprise.

"Bye.....Itsygo."

Ichigo waves back to her, smiling as well. A warm feeling begins to wash over him, something he hasn't felt in quite some time. He watches as they disappear from sight, up the flight of stairs.

**End of Chapter 8**


	9. Chapter 9: Something Wicked

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ **Please be aware that this chapter has a good amount of adult content and I'm thinking about changing the story to an "M" rating, but we'll see**._

_I would like to apologize again for the long wait, but as usual I've been quite busy all week, mostly with work, but I was finally able to finish this chapter, although I'm not quite pleased with how it turned out. I'll probably tweak it some more later when I have some free time. Work should be slowing down for me within the week, so I'll definitely try to get the next chapters out sooner.....again, here's hoping :) Anyway, I know I promised a chapter with more action, but I had this idea for awhile now and I felt it was the perfect time to write it in. The next chapter will definitely have alot of action and probably a few surprises. Once again, if you find any mistakes, please don't hesitate to let me know. I apologize for not responding to your comments as I was extremely busy, but I would like to say that your reviews, advice and support are very much appreciated. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy Chapter 9._

_To The Doorstopper: Thanks for the advice regarding the last chapter. I'll update it as soon as I get the chance. Take care!_

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 9: Something Wicked **

**_"Hello darkness, my old friend,  
I've come to talk with you again,  
Because a vision softly creeping,  
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,  
And the vision that was planted in my brain  
Still remains  
Within the sound of silence."_  
**_**- **Simon & Garfunkel ***  
**_

A town North of Rokut.

Pounding....faint at first, then louder and faster. Ichigo slowly walks down a long, dark corridor. Each footstep he takes causes the wooden floorboards to creak, creating an eerie echo which causes the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end.

"Where the hell am I now?" he says to himself, "And what the hell is that thumping noise?"

As he makes his way towards the strange sound, he slips and falls, landing on his hands and knees. Cursing out loud, he stands back up and brings one of his hands close to his face, red liquid begins to drip from the tips of his fingers and palms down along his forearm and into his sleeve.

"What the hell is this?....blood?!"

He looks down to see a pool of blood on the floor and next to it, a dead human body.....heavily mutilated. In fear, he steps back, scanning the area for possible threats while reaching behind him to grab his zanpakuto. He clutches nothing but empty air.

"What the....where's my zanpakuto?"

He quickly turns around and decides to head back the way he came, but stops in his tracks due to a wall suddenly appearing in front of him, blocking his route of escape.

"What the hell is going on here?!" yelling at the top of his lungs, "Where'd this wall come from?!"

As more fear overcomes him, he turns back around and continues to scan the area ahead. The faint outline of dead bodies can be seen littered along the elongated hallway. Some bodies are decapitated, others are dismembered. Horror begins to overcome him as a red light materializes at the end of the corridor, forming the outline of a door. Suddenly, he hears the familiar voice of a woman calling his name.

"Ichigo...."

"....Miria?!"

"....don't.....stop...."

Ichigo runs forward towards the glowing door, disregarding his fear and the seemingly endless bodies along the way. As he approaches, the pounding sound increases in volume and rate, almost to the point of driving him insane. Ichigo tries to open the door, but it's locked.

"...Ichi...Ichigo..."

Fearing for her safety, he begins kicking and punching the locked door until it finally breaks and splinters. He rushes through the threshold and pauses. The sight he sees before him, horrifies his young soul.

"...Wha...?"

More dead bodies are strewn all over the unnaturally large room, hundreds of them, maybe even thousands. In the center of this genocidal-like chaos is Miria and another person, both naked......having sexual intercourse, almost violently. He tries to look away, but his body doesn't respond. He wants to run.....run away from this horrific sight, but something is preventing him from leaving the room, something or someone. He's forced to watch as Miria is continuously pounded by the unrelenting figure of a man lying on top of her. Her moans and screams are not of pain or anguish, but of pure, unadulterated pleasure. It's torture for Ichigo's mind and soul, having to be the audience for such an event. Ichigo continues to try and force himself to look away, but to no avail. As he continues watching, he notices something very strange.....his zanpakuto, lying on the ground next to the two lovers. The blade and handle of his sword are covered in blood. Suddenly, the man stops all motion and turns his head to stare at the shinigami.

"**What's wrong....Ichigo, don't like what you see? Too bad, cause when I take over, all of these dead humans will be your legacy. Hehehehehe!**"

Ichigo's eyes grow larger as he sees the familiar face of the person entwined with his female ally. The man's eerie grin grows wider and more evil-looking as Miria moans a few words.

"Please....don't stop.....Ichigo."

"**Don't worry....I'm never gonna stop. I'm gonna be around forever!**"

Miria smiles and grabs him by his orange hair, pulling his head down on top of her breasts. He begins kissing and licking her body, causing her to moan even louder than before. He turns Miria over, fondling and kissing her derriere which causes her to howl as her body twitches and convulses with sexual ecstasy. Heat and sweat pour from their bodies as they continue their animalistic coitus. Ichigo screams, louder than he's ever screamed in his life.

"NOOOOO!!"

He wakes up, screaming as sweat flows from every pore of his body, soaking the sheets of the bed he's laying on. He looks around to find himself in the room which he and Miria have rented. The light from the morning sun shining partially on his face through the small openings of the drapes covering the window.

"Nightmare.....it was only a nightmare." Ichigo utters with a sound of relief in his voice, "It seemed so damn real, I could have sworn....."

He looks over to the other bed, which hasn't been slept in or touched.

"Miria....where is she?"

He then looks across the room near one of the corners and sees Miria sleeping in a strange position. Her huge broadsword implanted in the floorboard as her body lay resting against it.

"That's kinda....weird." he thinks to himself, "She doesn't look very comfortable. I wonder why she didn't sleep on...."

"....Ich...Ichigo....oh...ah...more..."

"What the hell?!"

Alarmed, he jumps out of bed shaking his head in disbelief. He slowly walks over to her, calling her name in a low but firm tone.

"Miria....Miria"

No reponse. He kneels down and grabs her shoulder, shaking gently while calling her name. Suddenly, she grabs his hand and pulls him closer towards her, nearly giving him whiplash. He can feel her warm breath blowing across his skin as both of their lips nearly touch. He notices that she seems to still be sleeping and breaks free from her grasp, yelling her name quite loudly which finally awakens her from her slumber.

"What?....Ichigo?....I...we....both of us were...."

"It's alright, you were just dreaming."

"Dream? That's something I haven't done since before I......it seemed so real....we were both in a room filled with dead human bodies."

"....."

"You were making love to me..."

"....No....I'm certain that it was only a dream."

"But the scent of your body, I could smell it....I could taste your...."

"I said it was only a dream!"

"Maybe....."

"What do you mean maybe? I...."

Just then, a sudden knock alarms both of them. Ichigo quickly stands up and walks to the door.

"Who is it?"

"I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is ready. Both of you should come downstairs soon, before it gets cold."

"We'll be down in a minute. Thank you."

"O.K., it'll be waiting for you."

Ichigo listens as the footsteps move down the hallway to the next room. He turns to Miria and says,

"Come on, we should hurry up and get ready."

"You're right, we should hurry."

Ichigo smiles, extending his hand to help Miria up from the floor. She accepts his offer and grabs hold of him which causes that strange, fluttery feeling in her stomach to return. She pauses for a second, which Ichigo quickly notices.

"Are you O.K.?"

"...Yes, I'm fine...don't worry about me."

Miria stands up and walks over to her personal effects which she has neatly set in a pile on one of the tables. She turns to look at Ichigo, who is oblivious to her fixed gaze upon him and wonders what these feelings are that arises everytime they touch. The dream that she had seemed so real. As the minutes pass, her body wants more of him, his touch, his scent and even the warmth of his breath. She has never had nor needed male companionship like this before and these feelings are totally alien and uncharacteristic of her. Are these the same feelings that Clare has over the human boy which accompanied her before.

"Ichigo?"

"Yeah." he says while turning to face her.

"I would like to ask a favor."

"Anything."

"During your battle with one of Xeger's men, you displayed a technique....something which I'm quite interested."

"A technique? Which one?"

"The one where you circled him and moved so quickly that you created multiple after-images of yourself. It's similar to my _Mirage_ technique, but far more superior."

"You mean Shunpo?"

"Shunpo?"

"Yeah, it's also called Flash Steps. Although, the version you saw was in my Bankai form. What about it?"

"I'd like to learn it."

"You'd like to what?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Uh, no, not at all."

"Alright, how about after breakfast then?"

"Uhm, sure....after breakfast."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"Another thing, I feel we should leave this town tomorrow morning and search for signs of Xeger elsewhere."

"O.K."

"We'll head West. Hopefully, we'll find clues to his whereabouts in a different town."

"Yeah, hopefully."

"By the way, the little girl seems to be growing quite a liking to you."

"Little girl?"

"The Innkeeper's daughter."

"Oh, Miata. She's really cute....she reminds me of my little sister."

"I see. Anyhow, we should depart as soon as possible before she gets too attached to you."

"You sound jealous."

"Don't be silly. It's best to keep normal humans away from people like us. It's for their own protection. They would end up either getting hurt or possibly even killed if they were to associate with us."

"....."

"Is something the matter?"

"No. Let's get going."

Ichigo and Miria leave their room and walk downstairs. To their surprise, Miata is waiting for him near the entrance to the dining room. Ichigo kneels down to talk to her.

"Good morning, Miata."

"Hi Itsygo! I got sumthin fer you."******

"What is it?"

Miata gives him a flower that she picked from the rear of the Inn.

"It's beautiful, thank you. I'll keep it with me all the time."

He kisses her head and she blushes then runs off smiling as Ichigo watches her disappear from sight.

"You really have a way with females, don't you?"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"Nevermind, let's go finish breakfast. I'm quite anxious to learn this.....Shunpo technique of yours."

"Alright, let's get going."

As they enter the dining room, the smell of eggs, bacon and fresh fruits sends the feeling of euphoria through Ichigo's senses. He hasn't smelled something like this since before he was pulled into this strange world. His sister would always cook breakfast for the family every morning. Home, his family, his friends.....he misses everyone of them. How he wishes that all of this was just some nightmare he could wake up from. He's homesick.....after all, he is still a young teenager. A child who would trade almost anything to get home, but for now he is content with the few friends he's met in this world, like Miata. Especially Miria, for whom he's growing quite an attraction to.

Outside, a familiar figure stands alone, hiding in the shadows, watching....waiting for something or someone. His true intentions are only known to himself. He sees nothing but irony in this whole situation. He shares his thoughts with no one.

"You're such an idiot, Ichigo Kurosaki. You're too stupid to even know that someone's hunting you down. I felt his reiatsu a day ago. He's on his way here as you sit there with your....girlfriend, eating. It'll be a massacre. Heh, this'll be fun to watch."

He smiles, drawing back his lips and exposing his teeth. His evil grin even more pronounced than before. He utters a single comment.

"What're you gonna do when the big bad wolf comes knocking at your door, Kurosaki? What're you gonna do? Ha ha ha ha."

**End of Chapter 9**

*****_This quote was taken from the song, 'The Sound of Silence' by Simon & Garfunkel_

_******I purposely spelled these words differently to differentiate Miata's speech pattern._


	10. Chapter 10: The Dogs of War

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes: For some reason, __I'm not pleased with how this chapter turned out either. I can't seem to figure out what's wrong, but more than likely, I'll end up tweaking it after I get the usual advice from everyone. Once again, if you find any mistakes, please don't hesitate to let me know. Of course, I'd like to thank everyone again for your reviews, support and advice to improve this story. It's very much appreciated! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy Chapter 10._

_BTW, not that it's of any importance, but I changed my avatar. Tell me what you think :)_

_*updated 08/23/09* I'd like to thank **The Doorstopper,** **Samurai89** and **Yumi Girl 91** for their valuable advice and keen eye. I used a sentence provided by the Doorstopper, changed some words/phrases, added some things to the romance scene and changed the character of Angelica._

* * *

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 10: The Dogs of War**

**"**_**Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war**_**" - **_William Shakespeare_'s '_Julius Caesar'_

A town North of Rokut.

It's a cold, dark night with just a slight breeze blowing through the streets and the smell of burning wood coming from the chimneys around the town. The quiet and peaceful setting is somewhat offset by the darkness that blankets the area. A mere hour after dusk, the blackened state of the sky would give even the most hardened of men a moments pause before setting out. The seemingly serene atmosphere is only a facade. In actuality, it's the calm before the storm.

Galiver stands atop a hill near the Inn in which Ichigo and Miria have sojourned. He senses Ichigo's reiatsu as well as Miria's yoki and can smell the several humans within the establishment. He hasn't eaten anything since leaving the mountainous Zakol region in the West and up to this point, hasn't thought of anything else, but exacting revenge on the orange haired boy that killed his friend. But now, the smell of numerous humans in the surrounding area is causing an insatiable hunger to build up within him. His plan at first was to mercilessly attack the Inn and kill every living thing inside, but now he thinks of something better. He slowly turns around to face the small group of Awakened Beings he has gathered for the encounter with Ichigo, six in total.

"There's been a change in plans. We're not going to attack this town...yet."

"Why not?"

"Hunger. I haven't eaten since leaving Zakol, so my strength has diminished. Myself, along with the female among your group shall pretend to be a couple and request lodging. To regain my strength for the upcoming battle, we'll feast upon the humans dwelling inside, save the the boy and the former soldier. When finished, I'll give a signal to attack. Then all of you shall decimate this entire town, leaving no survivors. You are to devour everyone!"

"How do you know they're still inside? I can't sense neither this boy or the soldier."

"Trust me. I felt this boy's energy as far away as Gonahl. He doesn't seem to know how to suppress his...yoki, although it fades at times. Also, it's a different type of energy signature compared to Yoma. Some might think that it's just a random burst of energy created by a type of natural phenomenon, like a storm. But because of my experience, I know the difference. Now, the female soldier is using yoki suppression pills, but I can still sense her due to my...special abilities. Any other questions?"

He recieves no answer but the gentle wind blowing past his ears and the crickets which play their endless song in the night.

"Good. Let's proceed. You...you're coming with me."

The female Awakened leaves the group to follow Galiver as he heads down the hillside towards the Inn. In an area not far from them, the mysterious person which has been following Ichigo since the beginning, watches them with eager anticipation. He surpresses his energy so as not to be dectected and continues to remain in the shadows, waiting.

"Heh, so that's his plan." he thinks to himself, "This should be fun. I wonder though...which one of them is..."

As Galiver and the female enter the Inn, Ichigo and Miria passes them while returning to their room after having dinner. Galiver and Ichigo lock eyes for a split second causing Galiver's blood to boil with hatred, but prevents himself from attacking. I must not deviate from the plan, he tells himself while turning around to make his way to the front desk. As he speaks with the Innkeeper to inquire about lodging, Ichigo and Miria continue their way to the second floor. Ichigo suddenly stops and whispers to Miria.

"Did you see that couple?"

"No."

"Well, that man looked familiar, but I can't seem to remember where I've seen him from."

"Sorry, I wasn't paying any attention. My mind has been on...other things, as of late."

"It's alright, I'm probably just losing my mind."

"I hope not, that wouldn't be a good thing."

"Yeah..."

They continue up the stairs and shortly, enter their room. As Ichigo removes his black coat and places it on his bed, Miria quickly glances his way. She just can't seem to figure out why she has this growing attraction towards him. The way he moves, talks and even the smell of his sweat, she finds extremely alluring. This isn't her, this is very out of character for the former single-digit warrior. She has never been attracted to anyone before, but why now...why him. Could it be the dream she had the other night, the one that seemed all too real? If it was a dream, why was she able to feel everything, every wonderful sensation...something she has never felt her entire life. The way he touched her, the way he stimulated certain parts of her body and the way he made love to her...was so wonderful that she can remember every single detail. Her body yearns for more...more of Ichigo. She quickly looks away as Ichigo turns to face her.

"You don't each much, do you?"

"Unlike regular humans, soldiers of the Organization require a miniscule amount of food."

"Really? Is that healthy?"

"I believe that it's...normal for us."

"...By the way, you learn awfully fast. It's kinda scary, to be honest."

"...what do you...mean?"

"Uh, shunpo. What else would I be talking about?"

"No...nothing. Of course that's what you meant. Well, you explained and taught everything quite well. Compression of power instead of an expansion of it. The technique itself is quite amazing. With more time and practice, I should be able to either master it or modify my own technique utilizing its principles."

"Yeah, you're quite amazing yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"Uh...I mean...er...yeah..."

Ichigo looks down, blushing with the clear sign of embarrassment written all over his face then turns back to face his bed. Miria uncharacteristically smiles at him then turns away and begins undressing. Ichigo glances over to her, but quickly looks away, realizing that she's partially naked. As she continues to disrobe, she accidentally knocks over the oil lamp which is resting on top of the table next to her. Ichigo immediatley rushes over there to pick up the lamp before it can start a fire while Miria simultaneously bends down to do the same. Their hands meet once again.

Their bodies are so close to one another that they can feel the warmth of each other's breath and the heat emanating from their bodies. Ichigo's mind is telling him to stand up and move away from her, but his body refuses to do so. The sensation he gets being so close to her is unbearable. She looks into his brown eyes, almost hypnotizing her. She can hear his heart beating, ever so quickly, smell the scent of his skin and feel the strong aura which surrounds him. She grabs his hand with a firm grip and brings herself closer to him. The fluttery feeling she normally gets in her stomach when they touch, is gone. Replaced by an unyielding hunger, a craving to be smothered, caressed and touched by him. Miria brings her lips closer to his, as Ichigo's bare chest touches her uncovered breasts. The soft feel of her skin and the scent of her body is so extremely intoxicating that it's driving him crazy, yet he doesn't yield. Looking down at her midsection, he cringes at the sight of a hideous deformation on her body, just below her breasts. Miria quickly covers herself and turns away.

"What...happened to you? Is that some kind of scar from an injury or something?"

"Or something...this "scar" is our stigma, showing proof that we are half human, half Yoma."

"..."

"Before we become soldiers of the Organization, we are cut open then we're implanted with Yoma flesh and blood. Something resides within us...something that should be avoided."

"Does it...hurt?"

"No."

"...I'm glad."

"Glad? So, you aren't disgusted? Disgusted of my body...of me?"

"No...I could never be disgusted of you." he says, smiling at her.

She hears the sincerity in his words and the look in his eyes. For the first time she can remember, a human wasn't afraid of her, didn't think of her as some kind of monster. He truly has a way with females, including herself. Refusing to hold back any longer, she grabs the back of his head and kisses him. As the light from the lamp goes out and the room turns pitch black, she remembers what Zangetsu told her...Twin Souls.

Miria wakes up beside a sleeping Ichigo. She wonders how a warrior like herself, a leader of soldiers, lost so much control. Does she really believe that the two of them are truly two souls that are meant to be together? If it were true, it would definitely explain her recent actions, but she's always believed that nothing else controls her fate, but herself. Does she regret the things that they've done together? Turning her head to look at him, the answer becomes quite clear...she regrets nothing. Her entire life was filled with sadness, anger, horror, isolation, fear and loathing. Doesn't she also deserve to be happy once in her life, even if it is for a brief time. She understands that eventually, Ichigo will have to leave her when he finds a way home, but as long as he's here, she's going to savor every moment they spend together. As she lay in bed, the sudden sound of a woman's muffled scream brings her back to reality. She quickly stands up, pulls her Claymore from the floorboard and moves back to Ichigo's bed in a split-second.

"Ichigo, WAKE UP!"

He slowly opens his eyes and looks up at her.

"What is it?"

"Something is here...something dangerous. I sensed a burst of yoki but it suddenly vanished. I'm sure it's still here."

"What?!"

He jumps out of bed while grabbing Zangetsu from the top of the headboard and quickly puts on his shihakusho. He glances at Miria, but quickly looks away.

"Uh, maybe you should...put something on. I'll guard the door."

"...right..."

As Miria puts on her attire and equipment, a crimson red light begins to glow from beneath the door. They both sense the growing build up of energy as the light gets brighter with each passing second.

"Miria! Move! It's a Cero!"

In an instant, the door and the surrounding wall explodes as the Cero travels through the room and demolishes the other wall and window in its path. The beam continues moving outside towards the hills behind the Inn, lighting up the night sky.

"There's the signal!" An Awakened One shouts, "Let's move! Leave nothing alive!"

All five of them transform and quickly move down the hill towards the unsuspecting town. Splitting up, each one travels in a different direction, destroying several homes and buildings as well as killing several dozen humans still sleeping in their beds. Back at the Inn, the smoke and dust created by the Cero begins to dissipate. Ichigo looks around the room, searching for signs of Miria.

"MIRIA!"

*cough* "I'm...fine. I was able to use...shunpo at the last second."

"Instead of worrying about her, you should be concerned for yourself, kid!"

A large male figure can be seen through the smoke where the door to the room formerly was. Standing at around 6'2", his glowing gold eyes and the "hollow hole" in the center of his chest are the only features that can be clearly seen.

"Just who the hell are you?!" Ichigo shouts.

"He's one of Xeger's men."

"Correction lady, I WAS one of Xeger's men...but no longer."

"What is it that you want?"

"What else, I want to rip that boy to shreds for what he did to Lugar."

"So, you're saying that you're willing to destroy this entire town just to kill Ichigo for retribution? Was bringing that horde of Awakened Beings really necessary?"

"Of course. Not only do these humans provide food for my group, but they also make a great distraction. What will this boy do, engage me in combat or try to save the townspeople? Likewise, you'll be too busy helping these humans instead of aiding him."

"Dammit! If it's me you want, leave everybody else out of this."

"Why should I? We've already devoured everyone in this Inn, we might as well kill the rest of the people."

"You Bastard! Miria, look for the Innkeeper and his family...please."

"I'll take care of it, Ichigo."

"Are you stupid people deaf or something. I said everyone's dead!"

Galiver hyper-extends four of his fingers, propelling them directly at Miria. Ichigo shunpos in front of her, deflecting them with his zanpakuto. Miria touches the back of Ichigo's shoulder then using the technique he taught her the previous day, she instantly vanishes through the smoldering hole created by Galiver's attack and reappears on the ground, outside of the Inn.

"This fight's between you and me! Leave her out of this."

"It's alright, I've got a surprise for her anyway."

"What do you mean?!"

"She'll find out...soon."

"BASTARD!"

Ichigo turns around, planning to follow Miria down to the ground below. But before he can move, he's shot in the back by Galiver's Cero, sending him flying through several trees and finally, crashing into a barn one hundred meters away. The flower given to him by Miata slowly floats down to the ground, landing on top of a barrel behind the Inn. Galiver quickly gives chase, following Ichigo into the barn. Meanwhile, Miria meticulously searches the Inn for survivors. What she finds, are the mutilated and half-eaten corpses of the Inn's guests, but no sign of the Innkeeper or his family. Entering the kitchen, she finally finds the body of the Innkeeper. Most of his internal organs have been eaten while his head is partially decapitated with only a single strand of muscle connecting it to his body. Suddenly, she hears the muffled sound of a small girl somewhere nearby.

"Miata! Are you there?"

Miria hears the sound again, but this time she's able to pinpoint its origin to the pantry. Raising her broadsword, she hastily pulls the double doors open. Inside she finds the Innkeeper's wife and Miata...still alive.

"Pl...Please don't kill us." the wife pleads, while a waterfall of tears fall from her cheeks.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm a...Claymore."

"...clay...claymore?..."

"Yes. What happened here?"

"A woman...I mean a...Yoma started killing the guests so my husband and I took our daughter and ran here. He locked the door and pushed us into the pantry. The Yoma broke down the kitchen door and my husband tried to stop her, but...but...then I heard an explosion and she left."

" I see. Now come with me, I'm going to take both of you to safety."

"S...sure."

The wife picks up her daughter and begins following Miria.

"Cover your daughter's eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

Covering Miata's eyes, she sees her husband's corspe sprawled on the floor. She stops and begins weeping.

"Oh no...no, no, no, no..."

"I'm sorry, but we have to go...now!"

Her eyes erupts with more tears as she steps over his remains and gives one last glance before leaving. Miria leads them to the back door and takes a furtive look through the opening before stepping outside. She points to a group of trees located a few hundred meters South of their position.

"We're heading in that direction. Follow me and stay close."

"OK."

Before they can move, a sudden explosion erupts from the barn, shattering every nearby window and blowing the barn door apart. The shockwave from the blast hurls Ichigo like a cannon ball, sending him crashing into the stack of barrels and crates next to Miria. The flower which rested atop one of the barrels is flung into the air then slowly floats back down, landing on the ground.

"Ichigo!"

As Miria goes to his aid, she hears a frantic scream coming from behind her. She quickly turns around to see a female awakened clutching the Innkeeper's wife by her neck as Miata kneels on the ground, covering her head with both arms.

"My, my. What a predicament you're in. Should you help your companion or these two humans?"

"Let them go."

"Sure. they're no fun anyways. I'd rather kill Organization soldiers, especially someone of your caliber."

"I'm no longer with the Organization."

"I really don't care. I just want to have a little fun with you."

"Do you truly believe it'll be that easy?"

"Actually...yes I do."

"Who are you?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, not in the least, but I'd like to know your name, none the less."

"...Angelica, former number eight."

"I've never heard of you before."

"Of course not, I was a warrior decades before your time. Although, I have heard of you...Phantom Miria"

"How do you know my name?"

"Now that we've finished with the formalities..."

Pulling out a sword from underneath her cloak, Angelica throws the Innkeeper's wife to the ground then launches herself forward with so much force and velocity that Miria is violently pushed back, hundreds of feet as she blocks the attack with her claymore. Seeing Miria's situation, Ichigo quickly rises from the demolished crates and barrels.

"MIRIA!"

Before he can act, Galiver suddenly appears and blocks his path.

"Where do you think you're going, brat? If you don't pay attention to our fight, you'll loose your head, among other things."

"Get...OUTTA MY WAY!"

"NO. If you want to help her, you'd have to go through me first."

At that moment, Miata finds the flower which she gave Ichigo and picks it up from the ground.

"I SAID...**GET THE **HELL **OUTTA **MY **WAY**!"

"And I said no."

"BASTARD! GETSUGA TEN..."

"Itsygo! You dwopped yer flowa!"

She runs over to Ichigo, holding the flower in her hand. Her mother stands up and chases after her.

"Miata! Don't!" her mother yells, screaming frantically.

Before Miata can reach Ichigo, her mother quickly grabs her. Ichigo turns his head and in almost slow motion, Miata's mother drops to her knees as her head rolls off her body...blood spraying in all directions.

"NO!" Ichigo yells.

"Mama?"

Miata and her mother's body drops to the ground. She gets up and stares at her mother's lifeless corpse and begins crying as tears begin to fill her big, blue eyes.

"MAMA! MAMA! MAMA!"

Ichigo runs over, but before he can reach her, she gets lancinated in the abdomen by Galiver's hyper-extended index finger, pinning her up against the wall of the Inn. Ichigo's eyes widen as he sees blood spurting from her mouth.

"NOOOOOOO!"

Galiver retracts his finger, dropping Miata to the ground.

"How irritating. Stupid humans..."

Ichigo kneels down, picking up the motionless little girl and holding her tight in his arms. Tears start flowing from his eyes as he looks up at the night sky and begins screaming. His reiryoku explodes like a volcano, demolishing part of the Inn as black reiatsu quickly engulfs the immediate area and hurricane-force winds sweep through the town. A single voice can almost be heard amidst all the chaos.

"**Heh, it's time to raise some hell...**"

**End of Chapter 10**


	11. Chapter 11: Who Goes There?

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ I would like to apologize for such a short Chapter. I originally wanted to include this in Chapter 10, but I couldn't figure out how to do so without interrupting that part of the story. I then decided to create one short chapter specifically for this part of the story. Hopefully, you aren't too upset at me for this :D I realize that I published this chap kind of quickly, so if you haven't done so or if you missed the previous one, please read Chapter 10 before this one. I'd like to thank everyone again for your reviews, advice and support regarding this and the previous chapter. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this short Chapter 11._

_Due to the increasing amount of adult content, I have decided to change the story from a "T" to an "M" rating. This will also give me a lot more freedom to write without the use of censorship._

_*Updated 8/23/09* - Thanks to **Samurai89** and **The Doorstopper** for their great advice and suggestions! I used a couple of sentences provided by both reviewers._

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 11: Who Goes There?**

A town North of Rokut.

Not too long ago, this town was quiet and peaceful, with nothing amiss. Then, less than an hour ago, a battle ensued between a substitute\ deputy Shinigami and a Hollowfied Awakened Being in the east part of town. The latter decided to use a small group of Awakened to decimate the entire town as he engaged the Shinigami in battle. Now, half the town lay in ruins as the smoke and fire that sweeps the southern part, turns most of the buildings to ash. Among the death and chaos, a sign of life emerges....a teenage girl running from something.....something huge, craving to devour her entrails. The Awakened Being chasing her, stands 25 feet in height and covered from head to toe in scaley armor plating. His head is reptilian-like with a long split tongue and four eyes. At the end of each arm where hands and fingers would normally be, are three large claws. As the girl tries to flee, she stumbles over some debris and falls to her hands and knees. She turns her head to look back as the Awakened's giant shadow looms over her. Tears began flowing from her wide, fearful eyes.

"Pl...pl...please....I don't wanna die..."

"I'll do you a favor because you're such a beautiful little girl, not to mention that I love blond hair. I'm gonna devour you whole, you won't even feel a thing, I promise."

"N...n...no!"

He grins then opens his mouth wide, exposing his fangs and tongue. At that moment, an explosion of energy and strong winds distracts him for an instant. He turns to face the point of origin and sees the overflow of black reiatsu engulfing the east part of town.

"What the f*ck is that? What the hell can give off that kind of energy and power. Could it be the person Galiver is fighting? I should go check it out, but first....."

He turns around to face the girl, but finds someone standing in front of her, staring up at him with a wide, evil smirk on his face, the same stranger that's been following Ichigo and Miria as well as the small group of Awakened Beings gathered by Galiver.

"Who the f*ck are you?!"

"....."

"Didn't you hear me?!"

"....."

"I SAID WHO THE F*CKING HELL ARE YOU?!!"

"....."

"Don't wanna talk, huh? Fine, I'll just swallow both of you at the same time."

"Shut the hell up."

"What the hell did you say to me, you f*cking insect?!"

"Shove it up your ass."

"WHAT?! That's it, I'm gonna rip you apart and eat you piece by piece."

As the awakened opens his mouth, the stranger jumps up and lands on top of his tongue.

"So, you like killing defenseless people, you ugly mother f*cker."

The awakened pulls his tongue, along with the stranger, back into his mouth and shuts his jaws closed. The girl screams as the feeling of fear and panic washes over her. Tears begin to flow from her eyes as she watches the demon-hybrid move closer towards her. As he stares down at her, all four of his eyes begin to expand then suddenly burst, causing him to violently rake at the air with his claws. Without warning, the top of his head explodes, raining purple blood down on the street below. As the awakened being's corpse finally collaspes onto a burning building, the stranger jumps out, landing softly in front of the girl who is fully drenched in the half-demon's blood. He glances at her, turns and walks away.

"Th....thank you....mister..."

He halts for a moment and turns his head to look at her.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I wasn't trying to help you."

"....."

"Leave now. Find a place to hide , there's more of them around."

"O...OK"

He continues walking.

"By the way, you're welcome."

She smiles as she watches him walk away.

"My name's Caitlin!" she yells to him.

"Try being a little more quiet, unless you want them to find you."

"...oh yeah..."

He continues walking towards the other part of town where death, disorder and mayhem continue to reign. Sensing Ichigo's reiatsu rising, he pauses for a moment, looking toward the eastern part of town.

"Hmph....Ichigo Kurosaki...."

**End of Chapter 11**


	12. Chapter 12: The End of Innocence

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Due to some changes and inclusions to Chapter 10, I would suggest re-reading that Chapter before continuing with this one. A special thanks goes out to **Samurai89**, **The Doorstopper** and **Yumi Girl 91** for their invaluable help and advice. Again, I'd like to thank everyone in advance for your reviews, advice and support. I hope you enjoy Chapter 12. _

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 12: The End of Innocence**

Ichigo's body begins to twitch as he lazily opens his eyes. His blurry vision begins to adjust and sharpen as the painful throbbing in his head slowly subsides. He finds himself lying face down on the ground...of his inner world. Sluggishly, he gets up while grabbing the side of his head where the pain is more pronounced. Looking around, he notices that the fog which was here during his last visit, is no longer present, yet things still seem far from normal. Although the skys are clear with just spots of clouds appearing randomly, daylight is replaced by twilight and the darkening sky appears more gloomy as the seconds tick away.

"What the hell's going on here now? First fog, now this! What's next...snow?!"

"_Ichigo_..._Ichigo._"

"Huh?"

Ichigo turns around to find Oghici's zanpakuto partially imbedded into the ground at his feet.

"Old man? Are you in there? OLD MAN!"

"_Ichigo...He's coming, Ichigo_"

"What? Who's coming?...huh? Footsteps..."

He quickly turns around as the footsteps appear directly behind him.

"Wha?!..."

"**Heeere's Ichi**!"

"Evil" Ichigo stands with his arms spread out like a pair of wings, Zangetsu resting on his left arm as he confronts his "other-self". His facial features are identical to Ichigo's, excluding his maniacal smile, which slightly resembles that of Ogihci. His outward appearance is also identical, with the exception of his clothing, which is literally ripped and torn to shreds.

"..."

"**Yes, it's me...but this time, I'm here for good**."

"Who...are you?"

"**Who am I? That's kinda obvious...I'm you**."

"No, that's impossible."

"**Impossible? You're a fool, you've always been a naive fool. I was born the day your dear mother was killed. Do you remember, Ichi? Anger and hate started building up within you. You hated the world for taking your Mother away from you, but in all honesty, you were to blame for her death. Your idiotic urge to rescue people caused her death. If you hadn't run down the hill that day to try and save a girl, we wouldn't be here talking. Instead, you'd be at home with Mommy dearest. The hilarious part is...the person you were tyring to help wasn't even a real girl, but a Hollow who wanted to swallow your soul.**"

"NO! IT'S NOT TRUE! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"

"**Go ahead and keep telling yourself that, but we all know the truth. Hell, even your Mother knows the truth. Oops sorry, I meant to say our Mother. Hehehe**."

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU DAMN BASTARD!"

**"Heh, You haven't figured it out yet? Each time you get angry, I grow in consciousness. Everytime you let hate consume you, I grow stronger. And now, thanks to you, I'm here to stay. Hahahahaha!**"

"I'LL STOP YOU!"

"**You?...Stop me?...And how exactly will you do that? With harsh language?**"

"DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

Evil Ichigo grabs Zangetsu with his right hand and slashes Ichigo's face, cutting him diagonally on his left cheek.

"**Whoops**."

He smiles, then takes a bow.

"**Thank you very much**."

Ichigo lunges forward, but Evil Ichigo kicks him in the midsection, causing him to slide backward several feet, stopping next to Ogihci's zanpakuto. Ichigo looks down and slowly reaches for it, causing his evil self to laugh hysterically.

"**Go ahead and grab it. You aren't man enough. You're just a little bitch**."

"I SAID DON'T FUCKING UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

"_Ichigo...don't_."

Ignoring Zangetsu's words, he grabs the handle of Ogihci's sword. Suddenly, the long black cloth attached to the end of the handle begins to wrap itself around Ichigo's right arm until it covers his entire body, stopping just short of his neck. Ichigo is completely immobilized and drops like a log. His "evil twin" stands over him, smiling.

"**Now that I've sealed you away, I have free reign over your body**."

"BASTARD! LET ME GO!"

"**Hehe, I can't wait to finally get my hands on Orihime and Rukia. I wonder if they're into threesomes**."

"DAMMIT YOU FUCKING BASTARD...DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON EITHER OF THEM...OR I'LL..."

"**I think Orihime won't be much trouble. If you haven't figured it out yet, she's really in love with you. I'm guessing that she'll let me do anything I want to her...anything. Actually, I'm positive of it. Rukia on the other hand, she'll be a tough one to crack, but eventually she'll...see things my way. Oh, all three of us is gonna have a good time! Hehehe**."

"WHEN I GET OUTTA HERE, I'M GONNA..."

"**Oh, I nearly forgot about Miria. She's a hot one too. I can't believe the only thing the two of you did in that room was kiss. I mean come on, the girl was practically naked! She would have let you do all kinds of things to her. Everything imaginable. I should know cause it was me in her dream and she enjoyed every single minute of it. Although, that scar on her body is kinda nasty. Maybe I can cover it up somehow. Oh well, whatever...**."

"SON OF A BITCH! IF YOU TOUCH HER, I'LL KILL YOU!"

"**That's right, the sky's the limit. Well, gotta go...Got people to kill, girls to abuse...see ya around Ichi. Hehehehe**."

"DAAAAAAAMN!"

Ichigo feels dispair and hopelessness overtake him as Evil Ichigo disappears from view. All his life he has never quit, has never given up, but now that his will has been shattered, he finally succumbs to his inner torment.

A town North of Rokut.

As the black, swirling mass of reiatsu fades, the obscure figure from within steps forward, still holding the injured child in his arm.

"**What's this? She looks dead...**"

Releasing her, she lands hard on the ground with a thud. He laughs at the thought of his other-self being such a sympathetic fool. He believes bothering with such a frail and feeble child is a waste of time. Unbeknown to him however, Miata's body is continuously absorbing his reiryoku causing her wounds to slowly heal as she lay there motionless. He continues walking forward until he stands face to face with Galiver. His blank expression and the searing look in his eyes are enough to give even Isley pause, it's almost as though he's looking into his very soul.

"**Yo**."

"..."

"**I'm glad you found me, it kinda saves me the trouble of trying to hunt you down**."

"You arrogant son of a bitch...I'm gonna kill you."

"**Then why not you release your Yoma powers?**"

"Why? Because I won't need them to kill you."

"**Is that so**?"

"Im gonna beat you with your own powers."

"**My own powers**?"

"Don't play stupid with me. I'm talking about your Hollow powers."

"**I see. To be honest, I don't think I'll need my Hollow powers to kill you**."

"What?!"

"**I saw the fear in your eyes, even if it was for just an instant. Admit it, you've already lost**."

"Fuck you! How dare you underestimate me! I was the Organization's number seven, long before your grandfather was even born. I've killed more Yoma in my lifetime than any of the Organization's soldiers. I've slaughtered tens of thousands of humans just because I was bored. And you have the audacity to look down on me! I'd suggest that you use everything you have to fight me because I'm gonna tear you to pieces then feed you to the others!"

"**Heh, if you really want it that bad...I'll be more than happy to oblige**.** Now I suggest you should pray to the God that you worship**."

Placing his left hand slightly above his forehead, he quickly begins materializing his Hollow mask. As he slides the mask over his face, the extreme changes in spirit pressure can be felt by everyone. His dense reiatsu is so overwhelming that Angelica hesitates momentarily, turning her attention away from Miria.

"What is that strange, powerful yoki? Who the hell is he?!"

"You should really concentrate with the battle at hand."

"Huh?!"

Angelica turns her attention back to her opponent, but in the blink of an eye, Miria vanishes then quickly reappears behind her.

"Argh!"

Angelica's sword hand falls to the ground as the wound Miria caused, bleeds profusely.

"You bitch! I'm going to kill you!"

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to have a little fun first."

"Don't mock me or you'll regre..."

Before she can finish her sentence, Miria vanishes and in a split second, reappears in the same position as if she never left. Angelica suddenly grabs her own throat with her remaining hand as purple blood pours through her fingers. Miria was able to cut her neck deep, but not enough to decapitate her. She tries to speak, but is only able to gurgle out unrecognizable words.

"Hmph. I meant to completely remove your head from the rest of your body, but it would seem I have yet to adjust to this new speed...What's this?"

Angelica's yoki suddenly spikes as her transformation begins. A pair of reptilian-like wings sprouts from her back and her once human head changes into something that resembles the head of a cobra with several rows of long fangs protruding from her jaws. Each arm morphs into several eel-like tentacles, each with two long spikes at the tip. A vertical row of short spikes emerges down the centerline of her front torso. The rest of her body remains human-looking except her toes which have changed into long curved claws.

"So this is your awakened form. How...interesting."

The ice cold stare coming from Ichigo's yellow and black eyes causes a sense of dread to develop within Galiver's soul. Startled at the amount of immense reiatsu Ichigo's body is releasing, Galiver decides to release his Yoma powers. He begins growing in size as his entire body changes to stone. A single horn emerges near the back of his head and one on each shoulder. He now stands five meters in height and weighs well over two tons. A small Hollow hole can still be visible in the center of his chest. Ichigo begins to speak as his reverberating voice echoes throughout the town.

"**_How amusing, but I'm still going to kill you._**"

"Really, Well I'm gonna squash you."

"**_Like I said, how amusing_**..."

Galiver charges a Cero and fires it.

"**_You think you can play Hollow with me?!_**"

Ichigo extends his arm toward the incoming Cero and easily deflects it with the palm of his hand, diverting it upward into the sky. Galiver is in shock and awe to what he had just witnessed.

"Impossible..."

"**_You call that Cero?_**"

Pointing his index finger at Galiver, he begins charging an extremely large Cero.

"**_Here, let me show you how it's done_**."

Then fires it. Galiver braces himself and tries to block the beam with his arms. On impact, the Cero causes a huge explosion, hurtling Galiver into the nearby hillside. At that same moment, Miria and Angelica continue their fight.

"Your comrade seems to be losing and since you're an Awakened Being like him, I'm not going to hold back either."

"Ch-"

Angelica tries to strike Miria with her hyper-extended tentacles, but is unable to make contact due to Miria's new Mirage technique. The multiple after-images created by her begins encircling a confused and frustrated Angelica. Then without warning, Miria severs her right leg. Angelica screams in pain then tries to counterattack by shooting a barrage of spikes from her chest. Each spike passes through the various mirages, but never connects with the actual target. A surprised Angelica watches her left arm fall to the ground. Deciding to flee, she launches herself into the air and takes flight. Miria releases a small amount of yoki, localizing it specifically to her legs and leaps up toward the fleeing Awakened. Landing on Angelica's back, Miria grabs onto one of her wings and raises her broadsword high into the air.

"For all the atrocities you've commited tonight..."

"...pl..."

The look in Angelica's eyes is that of fear as Miria swings the Claymore down with all her might, completely severing her head from her shoulders. As the female awakened's horrified head falls to the ground, the rest of her body spirals downward in an uncontrolled freefall. Releasing just enough yoki to augment her arms, Miria grabs hold of both wings to try and manipulate her direction and rate of descent. She is able to create enough drag to slow down her vertical velocity and glide the body back to the ground. Moments before impact, Miria leaps up and lands, rolling with the fall. She quickly stands up, gripping her sword tightly as she looks toward the embattled duo.

"Ichigo...you're using that mask again..."

Galiver slowly gets up from the ground, grinning as Ichigo walks toward him.

"Is that your best shot? To be honest, it kinda tickled."

"_**Really? Is that why you're missing a forearm?**_"

Galiver lifts his left arm to see that everything past his elbow is gone. He roars in fury and increases his yoki as Ichigo looks on in amusement.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"**_I seem to hear that a lot these days. But seriously, what're you gonna do...stump me to death? Hahahaha_**!"

"SCREW YOU!"

"**_No thanks, you aren't my type...Getsuga Tensho_**."

Galiver quickly charges then fires a Cero from his mouth as the black wave of energy travels along the ground, tearing through dirt and rock. Both waves finally collide, creating an enormous explosion which swallows up both combatants as Miria looks on with concern.

"ICHIGO!"

As the smoke and dust slowly clear, Miria can see the faint outline of the victor holding up his adversary by the neck. The outcome was never truly in doubt. Galiver's massive, stoney form is now clearly visible. Nothing remains of his legs as both extremities lay on the ground, battered and pulverized. The left side of his crumbling torso has been nearly obliterated with pieces still falling to the ground. Yet, even while in this condition, Galiver still manages to smirk.

"**_Did you really think that a piece of shit like yourself can beat me? You continue trying to assault me with an attack originally not your own, borrowed from Hollows. Maybe before I arrived you were something special, but now that I'm here, you people are nothing. Ha, Hollowfied Demons...how ridiculous_**."

"You think so?"

Galiver slashes Ichigo's face with a large, long blade that rapidly emerged from the back of his right hand. The sudden attack slices his mask in two, with the lower portion dropping to the ground as Ichigo's wide maniacal grin is fully exposed. In retaliation, Ichigo releases Galiver by the neck and swings his zanpakuto laterally, but Galiver manages to block it bare-handed.

"**_Heh, impressive. However..._**"

Galiver's hand trembles and shakes as Ichigo releases more reiatsu. The blade begins to carve its way through. In response, Galiver releases more yoki, increasing the size and density of his arm and hand.

"**_Is that all you got?...Too bad._**"

Black reiatsu begins to surround Zangetsu's blade, giving it the power of Getsuga. Unable to resist the force and pressure any longer, Galiver's hand finally gives in. The attack slices his hand and arm in half horizontally as purple blood sprays out like a fountain.

"Arghh!"

"**_For pissing me off, it's time to pay the piper_**."

Ichigo slams his fist into Galiver's Hollow hole and charges a Cero.

"Gah..."

"**_Say hi to Lugar for me. Hahaha_**."

The resulting explosion is both blinding and deafening as the blast travels outward with devastating effect. Miria instinctively thrusts her sword into the ground and uses it to shield herself from the shock wave. Her only thought at the moment is one thing.

"Ichigo..."

**End of Chapter 12**


	13. Chapter 13: Tears of Lust

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Thanks again for your reviews and support everyone, it's very much appreciated. I'd like to also thank T**he Doorstopper** for some advice he gave me regarding the last Chapter, resulting in some minor changes. I believe we're at about the halfway mark with the story, so I'll try to get the next chapters out ASAP. Well, I hope all of you enjoy Chapter 13. _

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 13: Tears of Lust**

A town North of Rokut.

Not too long ago, this quiet and serene town erupted in death and destruction. Dozens of Homes and buildings have been destroyed, with most of its residents still sleeping in their beds at the time of the attack. Uncontrolled fires and smoke sweep through the South and East areas with death tolls nearing the hundreds. A horde of Awakened Beings led by Galiver were the perpetrators of this horrible assault. In the Eastern part of town, the battle between two powerful individuals has finally come to an end. Within the smoldering crater, the victor stands triumphantly while laughing maniacally at the bright moon. He holds the skull of the fallen Hollowfied Awakened in his hand as Miria cautiously approaches him.

"_**Is this the toughest badass this miserable world has to offer? How pathetic. I could take over this planet if I wanted to. It seems like they have nothing here to stop me**_."

"Ichigo. What are you doing?"

She is slightly taken aback as he turns his head to glance at her. The piercing stare from his yellow and black eyes under the broken mask, causes the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end as she recalls the incident that happened during their first encounter. The menacing tone of his reverberating voice only adds fuel to her anxiety.

"**_What do you mean_**?"

"....you're holding Galiver's skull while laughing at the moon. I just find that somewhat peculiar."

"**_Well,_** **_I'm just relishing my victory_**."

"....."

"**_Is there something wrong with that_**?"

"You just don't seem to be the type who...."

"**_Who would what,_** **_savor the moment? Then you really don't know me that well, do you_**?"

"I suppose not.....May I ask a favor then?"

"**_What_**."

"Please remove your mask."

"**_You have a problem with it_**?"

"Honestly, I find it very.....unsettling."

"**_Fine. I don't have much use for it right now, anyways_**."

Dispelling his Hollow mask, evil Ichigo's eyes and voice revert back to normal.

"**This better**?"

"Quite. Now, let's deal with the.....other Awakened Beings?"

"**What is it**?"

"I no longer sense any of their yoki. Could it be that they decided to flee after witnessing your power and Galiver's death."

"**How the hell should I know**."

".....are you sure that nothing's wrong? You don't seem to be yourself."

"**Maybe this is how I really am. Did you ever think about that**?"

"....."

"**Let's just get the hell outta this shit hole and find this Xeger character. I've got some questions I'd like him to.....**"

"Wait. I just sensed something.....faint. It's coming from the ruins of the Inn."

"**What is it? Another demon to slay**?"

"I don't think so. The energy signature is.....different."

"**Who gives a fuck. Just go over there and kill it already. I swear, females are just**...."

"I really don't like your tone or attitude, Ichigo."

"**So. Do you really think I care**?"

"Actually, yes I do. After the time we spent together, I assumed..."

"**Well, don't assume anything. It makes you look like an ass**."

A furious Miria turns and walks away. Ichigo drops Galiver's skull, crushing it with the heel of his foot then follows Miria to the Inn.

"_I should play along for now_," he thinks to himself, "_I'll make the bitch think that we're still....close. When I don't need her anymore, I'll drop her like a bad habit_."

Catching up to Miria, he grabs her by the shoulder causing her to stop. Irritated, she turns her head to look at him.

"What do you want?!"

"**Look, I'd like to apologize. I've....had a lot on mind lately. Seriously, I'm really sorry O.K.** "

".....sure....let's get going."

"**Alright**."

"_Wow!" thinking to himself, "She actually fell for that bullshit_?"

As they cautiously approach the Inn, Miria is able to quickly locate the source of the energy signature which she sensed earlier.

"It's coming from under that pile of debris"

"**Wonderful...**"

"Is there a problem?"

"**No...**"

Shifting through the wreckage, they find the Innkeeper's daughter buried beneath the wrack.

"Miata! Ichigo, help me get her out of there."

"**Why? Just leave her, she's probably dead already**."

"What if she's not, are you just going to stand there and let her die?"

"**....Fine, whatever**."

After pulling the little girl from the rubble, Miria checks her vitals.

"She's still alive, but barely. We need to get her some help. I believe there's a local doctor who resides near the center of town."

"**Damn what a bother. She'll probably just die on our way there**. **If you want to help her, be my guest....she's your baggage now**."

Miria shakes her head in disbelief while lifting Miata from the ground. Carrying the girl in her arms, both her and Ichigo begin walking to the center of the ravaged town. In the streets, they find the bodies of the townspeople littered everywhere. Some are half-eaten, while others have been literally ripped apart.

"Look at all this devastation caused by Galiver's lust for revenge. I'm glad we were able to put an end to this quickly. It could have been potentially worse than this."

"**Hey....you might wanna take a look at this**."

"What is it?

Ichigo points to a huge, monstrous body laying on the ground among the deceased locals.

"An Awakened Being?! His head is literally torn in half, I doubt the locals could have done this. So..."

"**I can sense the residual reiatsu of someone.....familiar**."

"You mean the person who did this came from your world?!"

"**Yeah, more than likely. I can't tell if he's still around though, but I'm pretty sure he'll show up eventually**."

"Is he a friend or foe?"

"**Hehehe, who knows....maybe he's here to kill me**."

"You seem to be taking it rather lightly."

"**Why worry about it now. Anyways, if he wanted to kill me, he could have done it at the Inn**."

"Point taken. Do you think he killed the other four Awakened? Is that why I can no longer sense any of their yoki?"

"**Knowing him, that's exactly what he would do. His lust for battle knows no bounds**."

"I see.....we should keep moving."

"**Lead the way, gorgeous**. **I like watching your cute ass shake**."

"Excuse me?"

"**Uh, I mean....you first...hehe.**"

"Hmph...."

Reaching the undisturbed center of town, they find that the entire area is deserted, like a ghost town. After spending almost half an hour searching, they finally locate the residence of the town doctor. Like with most of the area, the doctor's home is also abandoned. As they search the placid dwelling, Miria finds a room filled with medical supplies and places Miata on the bed located in the center.

"The doctor must have evacuated along with the rest of the townfolk. I know nothing of medicine or dressing wounds. How about you, Ichigo?"

"**Nope. I can't say that I do. Personally, I'd just let the brat die and get the hell outta here**."

"....."

"**Well, I'm gonna see if there's any food in this dump**."

"....good idea...."

After watching Ichigo leave the room, Miria searches every cabinet to find anything which could possibly help tend Miata's wounds. Down the street in another building, the mysterious person who slaughtered the five awakened beings which terrorized the town, tends to his own wounds. He's angy at himself for letting his guard down and underestimating his opponents.

"Dirty bastards tag-teamed me. I should have realized the son of a bitch was just baiting me in. Heh, guess that's what I get for being a little arrogant. Fucker took a pretty big chunk outta me too..."

A tiny sound from behind causes him to tilt his head slightly to the left.

"You might as well come out now, girl. I know you've been there a while?"

The blond teenager he saved earlier steps out from behind a cabinet in the next room and slowly walks toward him.

"Uh, hi....it's me....Caitlin....remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. What the hell do you want, girl?"

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me tonight and...."

"You said thank you already. Once is enough."

"Well, I know but I also wanted to see if you were O.K."

"I'm fine! Just get the hell outta here, I don't need your sympathy."

She looks over his shoulder to view his wound.

"You're injured! My...my uncle is the town doctor here. I learned a few things from him. I can help you like you helped me."

"So what. This is nothing, I'll be fine. Now, I'm gonna tell you one last time....get the fuck outta here."

"No."

"Say what?!"

"I...I'm not leaving until I help you."

"What if I just kick your ass and throw you outta here?"

"Then...I...I'll just crawl back in here....so I can help you."

"You stubborn bitch. What the hell's with you anyway?"

"I...told you I only want to help."

".....Fine! Fix me up then get the hell outta here."

"Th...thank you."

"Hmph."

Back in the doctor's home, Ichigo is relaxing by a fireplace, eating some food found in the kitchen. As he sits and watches the flames dance around and crackle, he suddenly feels a cold, sharp blade against his skin. He turns his head to see Miria's Claymore resting upon his neck.

"**What're you doing, Miria**?"

"Do you remember what I told you back in the cave?"

"**Vaguely**..."

"I told you that if you posed even the slightest threat to this world, I would execute you."

"**Is that so? And exactly what threat are you referring to**?"

"Don't play stupid with me.....I know you aren't Ichigo. At least, not the Ichigo I know."

"**Not Ichigo? What the hell are you talking about? Who else could I be**?"

"You're the one Zangetsu warned me about. The one trying to take over Ichigo's mind, body and soul. You're the same one that attacked me before."

"**Well, well I guess you've got me all figured out now. What exactly gave me away**?"

"First, was your attitude and demeanor towards me. Second, was your treatment of Miata."

"**Wha**?"

"Although I've only known Ichigo for a few days, I feel that I've gotten to know him quite well. Your uncaring and self-centered personality totally contradicts his in every way. We've spent enough time together for me to differentiate between the two of you. He would never treat me or Miata in such a way."

"**You think so, huh**?"

"I know so."

**"Really? And you think it's so simple to take the life of someone you care deeply about**?"

"Do not presume to know me. Feelings aside, the life of a single individual is less important than the life of millions. Ichigo understood this and I will do what ever I have to in order to protect this world."

As Ichigo stands up to face her, Miria increases the pressure on her sword, cutting his neck and causing blood to trickle down onto his chest. He looks directly into her eyes before saying another word.

"**So it's like that now, you heartless bitch. Well, what the hell are you waiting for then?! Go ahead......take his head!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR**!!"

Miria's hand begins to shake and tremble as she applies more pressure. She bites her bottom lip as a single tear falls from her eye. The very first tear she's had since before joining the Organization's ranks. Ichigo pushes her sword aside and pulls her closer to him.

"**You can't do it, can you? I should kill you for crossing me like that, but I'm actually very attracted to you. You've been wanting Ichigo for a while. He didn't want to give in to you, but I do. Unlike him, I won't hold myself back. Isn't that what you've been craving for.**"

"..N...No."

"**Don't bullshit me, Miria. In your dream, you wanted more. You didn't want me to stop. Now, it'll be the real thing**."

"...Pl...please...I...you need to....stop..."

"**If you really wanted me to stop, you'd being trying to put up a little more resistance than this. Your heart wouldn't be beating so fast and you wouldn't be sweating this bad**."

Evil Ichigo turns her around with her back facing him and slowly undresses her from the waist down. Even as she pleads for him to stop, she doesn't try to resist....not even in the slightest. He places his left arm around her waist and his right arm over her breasts. He begins pressing his body against her soft derriere as he tenderly kisses the back of her neck which sends shivers down her spine.

"**Are you sure you want me to stop? I can, if that's what you really want**."

"....no...please...don't stop...oh..."

More tears fall from her eyes as she curses herself for letting Ichigo have his way. She knows that she's stronger than this, so why does she give in so easily? What the hell is so different now? She closes her eyes as her body involuntarily quivers with ecstatic joy.

"...ohhh..."

**End of Chapter 13**


	14. Chapter 14: Draw the Line

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ I apologize again for the very long wait. I've been out of town on business and I've finally got some time to work on this chapter. I know I promised to get these chapters out much sooner, but with some major changes and a lot of projects at work, I'm not sure when I'll be able to publish the remaining chapters, though I'll try my best to get them out ASAP. Well, thanks again for all of your your reviews and support everyone, it's very much appreciated. __Well, I hope all of you enjoy Chapter 14._

_*Updated 9/29. I changed and edited a few things at the end (the scene Ichigo and Miria). Thanks again to **Samurai89** and **The Doorstopper** for their great advice! _

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 14: Draw the Line**

A town North of Rokut.

A few days after the battle, the townspeople have already begun rebuilding their ravaged town. The accounted death toll has risen to 213 with possibly more buried beneath the rubble. In the streets, a strange man questions the locals regarding what transpired days before. His inquiries lead him to the home of the young survivor who witnessed the destruction first hand. Herself along with the only other survivor, are surrounded by the town elders who deem both of them as a possible danger to everyone.

"We have decided that both of you shall leave here and be exiled, never to return."

"...but we haven't done anything. We...."

"ENOUGH! You must understand our wariness with the situation. Both of you were in the middle of that attack, yet somehow you managed to survive against a group of Voracious Eaters. Especially for a child as young as her to survive against such an onslaught is unimaginable. The both of you might very well be Yoma."

"But I told you, a man saved me. He killed one of the Yoma right in front of me."

"Caitlin, I would like to believe you, but given the circumstances....I agree with the rest of them."

"...but Uncle..."

"I believe you have nothing to fear from them. Both are still human, however...."

All eyes quickly glance at the door from which the voice is heard. They are startled to see a man wearing a long, black cloak with a circular metallic object on top of his head and eyes which are completely white. Behind him stands an imposing figure with silver eyes, blond hair and a huge sword behind her back.

"Mr. Rado, I can sense a strange....energy emanating from the little girl. It is definitely not Yoma, but I have never sensed anything like it before. It's a very dense and powerful aura...."

"I see."

"May we ask what you two are doing here. I'm not aware of anyone from our town requesting assistance from the Organization."

"Officially, we are here to investigate the rampage caused by Yoma, which destroyed part of your town and their defeat by a mysterious person. I need to learn this stranger's identity and I'm also very interested in this young child who survived. Your cooperation will be much appreciated."

"We don't have any information regarding the stranger you speak of, although my niece might be able to help you. She claims to have first hand account of what happened here. Now, the child's name is Miata. She's the daughter of the Innkeeper who's establishment was destroyed in the east part of town. Both of her parents have been found dead and she has no other relatives, which makes her an orphan."

"An orphan? If that is the case, you shouldn't have any objections if I take her off your hands."

The group looks at one another and nod their heads in agreement.

"We have no objections, do as you please."

"Splendid."

"Mr. Rado, I must warn you that the child seems to be emotionally and mentally unstable, possibly due to witnessing the death of her parents. It might be unwise to....."

"I will take your concerns under advisement, but if she does possess a powerful energy as you claim, I believe she will make an excellent addition to the Organization's numbers."

"But...."

"Be quiet now! I've made my decision."

"....."

"So where were we? Oh yes, I need to interview this other girl....in private. Any objections?"

"No."

One by one, the entire group turns and walks out of the room. Rado closes the door behind them.

"So Caitlin, what can you tell me about what transpired here?"

"....well, I was on my way home when the Yoma attacked the town. They were destroying everything and killing everyone. I tried to hide, but it found me. I thought I was going to die, then a man saved me. He....jumped into the Yoma's mouth and made its head explode."

"Interesting."

"He told me to hide somewhere because there was more of them, so I did. I ran back home and couldn't find my Uncle so I hid in my room. After a while, I decided to peek out of the window and I saw him again, walking down the street. He looked hurt so I took some first aid supplies and followed him. When I got back here, I found Miata alone, sleeping in the room over there."

"I see. Now, about this person who saved you, what did he look like and what happened to him?"

"Well, he was wearing strange clothes and carried a sword."

"Go on...."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Near the ruins of the Inn, Xeger, Reinhart and Lovino carefully examine the site which staged the previous battle. They find the shattered remains of their fallen comrade in a crater beside the nearby hillside as well as the decapitated body of a female awakened not too far away.

"It would seem neither Galiver nor the awakened gathered here were enough to defeat the boy."

"Yes Reinhart, as I stated before, none of us were strong enough to kill him at our previous level. Unfortunately for Galiver, he learned that lesson the hard way. Impatience and haste will only lead to one's downfall when dealing with the unknown. With the implementation of the more powerful Hollow, I believe we have the strength to finally slay that child and incorporate his powers with our own."

"I just wish Galiver didn't lose his patience and leave us. If he only waited a little longer, things may have turned out differently. Although stupid, he still was a good....friend."

Rage begins to build within Reinhart as he clenches his fists. Lovino grabs his shoulder and points to the western lands.

"I know Galiver fought valiantly against such a strong foe. His death will not go unpunished. We know the boy went in that direction, I can still sense remnants of his aura....he can't escape us. We'll exact our revenge when the time is right and if the female decides to intervene, I'll rip her apart with my bare hands as well as anyone else who stands in our way."

Reinhart nods his head slightly as he stares towards the west.

"Yes, revenge is a dish best served cold. It'll be more satisfying when we take his head without warning. He will rue the day that he crossed us and I'm going to make sure he suffers greatly for it."

"Magnificent! Hahahahahaha!!"

Reinhart and Lovino quickly turn their heads due to Xeger's sudden outburst as he picks up an object from the ground.

"Xeger, what is it?"

"This Reinhart, is something I've been waiting for. It's the lower portion of the boy's mask which we can use to complete my experiments. There is a vast amount of his energy still present within it.....the boy is of no further use to me."

"But..."

"I will say this only once, I have no need for retaliation. Lugar served his purpose and Galiver chose to confront the boy on his own accord, he's paid the price for it, but has also provided me with a prize. Furthermore, the boy is of no consequence to me. Once the procedure is complete, there is nothing anyone can do to stop us. I will destroy the Organization, conquer this pitiful island and bring the entire world to its knees."

"And if the boy chooses to challenge you...."

"Then it will be his funeral. But if you are so worried Reinhart, by all means, do as you wish. I've got more important matters that need to be attended to."

Xeger turns and walks toward their group of racked-up horses, placing Ichigo's partial mask in a pouch strapped over his left shoulder. He unties the lead rope of the halter, mounts his horse and quickly leaves the area, heading west toward his hidden complex. Watching Xeger disappear in the distance, Lovino turns his head to look at Reinhart.

"Well, it's your call. What do you want to do? You're my leader, not him."

"Thanks for your loyalty Lovino, but I believe now is not the right moment to strike. We'll bide our time for now. These new powers given to us by Xeger is still untested. I believe we should wait until Xeger completes his plans then we'll act, I'd rather not take any chances this time."

"Whatever you say."

Reinhart and Lovino mount their horses and follow Xeger as Rienhart looks towards the south west.

"Soon boy...."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

East of Gonahl

Near the shores of a small lake, Ichigo and Miria decide to rest under a large tree. The soft sounds of the waterfall, the wind blowing through the trees, the birds flying through the air and the setting sun in the west are so calming and soothing that Miria wishes she could spend an eternity here. Although that is what she would like to do, she knows such a desire is impossible. Glancing at Ichigo, she wonders if she'll have the strength to stop him if he becomes a menace.

"I think it's imperative that we stop Xeger and send you home."

"**Are you sure that's what you really want? To send me home**?"

"I...uh...yes Of course that's what I want."

"**You don't sound too certain**."

"Look, my main objective is to stop Xeger's plans, helping you get home is my second."

"**What if I don't want to go home anymore**?"

"What do you mean?"

"**What I'm saying is, I'm actually starting to like this world of yours. I've got free reign over**....."

They quckly turn around as a man suddenly bursts forth from the bushes behind them. He drops to the ground on his knees in front of Ichigo, clearly exhausted.

"**What the hell's wrong with you**?"

The man slowly gets up and grabs Ichigo's sleeve, holding on to it tightly like a lifeline.

"Pl...please....you got to....help me."

"**I don't have to do anything, you crazy bastard....let go of me!**"

Ichigo throws the man to the ground while grabbing his zanpauto and quickly swings it down toward him as the man raises his arms above his head in an effort to protect himself from the assault.

"**Don't you ever touch me again**!"

Miria blocks the attack with her claymore as the stunned man looks on in surprise.

"Ichigo, stop! What do you think you're doing?! I don't believe you were actually going to kill this man who's asking for our help...."

"**Back off Miria. The son of a bitch shouldn't have touched me**."

"If you want to kill him, you'd have to go through me first."

"**Oh, don't tempt me. Just because we've been really intimate, don't think for one second that I won't go through you to get to him**."

His response not only surprises her, but it also seems to tear her soul apart.

"I don't believe you just...."

At that moment, they find themselves suddenly surrounded by a large group of bandits, at least forty in number, all brandishing weapons. A man, seemingly their leader, dismounts from his horse and walks over to Ichigo and Miria. He looks down at the frightened man laying on the ground.

"We've finally caught up to you Reguindan. You're going to pay for stealing from me."

"Wai....wait! I....didn't ste...steal from you Jared....I just....found....it. See, I've got all the gold...ri...right here."

Sitting up, he pulls a large sack from under his jacket and hands it to him, shaking heavily. Jared grabs the sack from his hand and opens it.

"You know, there's one thing that I hate more than people stealing from me.......it's people that lie!"

"Pl...please...I'm....."

With a quick stroke of his sword, Jared beheads a shocked Reguidan. As his body falls to the ground, his head rolls and stops at Ichigo's feet with a thump. The frozen expression on his face is that of surprise as his cold inert eyes staring up at him seems to still plead for mercy. Jared slowly turns his head to look at Ichigo and Miria.

"I don't know who the two of you are, but unfortunately I don't like leaving any witnesses, so I suppose the both of you will just have to die right here."

Jared's men begin surrounding Ichigo and Miria, drawing their weapons. Ichigo looks to the left and right then erupts with maniacal laughter. A look of confusion appears on Jared's face.

"You think it's funny that you and your lady friend are about to die."

"**No, what I find funny is the fact that you bitches think you can kill us. Hell, I'll bet you couldn't even lay a single hand on her**."

"Ichigo...."

"What the hell did you say to me, you little shit!?"

"**I said you're a little bitch**."

"KILL THEM!!!"

The entire group of bandits charge in and attack. Ichigo kicks Reguindan's head like a soccer ball toward Jared, causing him to catch it with both hands. In an instant, Jared is quickly impaled in the forehead by Ichigo's sword. As the others close in, Ichigo swings his zanpakuto with Jared's horrified head and corpse still attached.

"**Heh.....Getsuga Tensho.**"

Jared's head explodes as the black wave of energy cuts dozens of men in half. Using her new Mirage technique, Miria is able to evade and confuse all of her attackers, while severing each of their hands in the blink of an eye. Fear sweeps through the remaining bandits as they decide to drop their weapons and flee as fast as they can.

"Those two are Yoma....RUN!!!"

Ichigo quickly shunpos in front of the surprised group, anger clearly written all over his face.

"**What the hell did you just call me?! Don't you ever associate me with those ugly bastards**!"

Ichigo raises his sword then drives it deep into the ground.

"**GETSUGA TENSHO!**"

The ground surrounding Ichigo erupts in a gigantic explosion of black energy which travels outward like a tidal wave in all directions, hurtling everything in its path high into the air while simultaneously shredding them to pieces. A rain of blood and body parts washes over the area as Miria quickly shunpos away from Ichigo's attack, reappearing atop a nearby hillside. Ichigo suddenly appears next to her, scanning the immediate vicinity for more bandits.

"**Well, that looks to be all of them**."

Miria grabs his shoulder, staring at him with disbelief.

"What's wrong with you Ichigo?! Those men were unarmed. They were fleeing and didn't threaten us any longer. There was no reason to kill them."

"**They pissed me off! That's all the reason I need. What's your problem anyway? They were the ones who tried to kill us first**."

"I didn't kill the ones who attacked me. These humans pose no real threat to people like us. There's a huge difference between defending ourselves and slaughtering people for fun. I absolutely draw the line at senseless killing and murder."

"**Whatever. Look, if you don't like the way I do things, just get the hell out. I don't need your help anyways**."

"That might be the best thing to do at the moment. To be honest, I don't like what you've become. You're turning into a monster, Ichigo."

"**You're wrong sweet cheeks....I am a monster**."

Miria sheaths her claymore, turns and walks away from him, clearly irritated.

"**Miria, just because we've had a lot of....fun together, don't think I won't treat you like the enemy if you try to cross me**."

She stops and turns her head, gazing at him irately. The smirk on his face seems to enrage her even further.

"Don't make me regret not killing you when I had the chance. If push comes to shove, I'll do whatever it takes to stop you if you continue this behavior."

"**Heh, we'll see. Oh by the way, did I ever tell you how I love the way your cute ass shakes while you walk? Hehehehe**"

"Don't force my hand, Ichigo.....you have no idea what I'm capable of."

"**Hehehehe. You know, you're very beautiful when you're angry**," Ichigo responds with a grin.

Miria glares at him furiously then continues walking towards the setting sun in the west.

"After I stop Xeger, I'm going to do everything I can to save Ichigo from the evil that's consuming his soul," she thinks to herself, "if I can't....."

She pauses for but a moment, almost tempted to look back at her former companion, but decides to continue her journey to the western lands, in search of Xeger.

**End of Chapter 14**


	15. Chapter 15: The Ace of Spades

_Disclaimer:_The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:_ _I apologize yet again for the very long wait. I've had writer's block this past month, so I was having a difficult time coming up with this next chapter. Also, when I was nearly finished , I got sick over two weeks ago and I tried to finish writing, but nothing I put down made any sense so I decided to wait until I recovered. I'm still not feeling too well, so you might find several mistakes. Thanks for being patient! As usual, I'd like to greatly thank everyone for all of your reviews and continued support, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this next update, Chapter 15._

_Thanks again to **Samurai89** and **The Doorstopper** for their great advice with regards to Chapter 14. _

* * *

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 15: The Ace of Spades**

Somewhere in the western lands sits a small, seemingly normal town with a population of just under two hundred people, surrounded by mountains on one side and a large river on the other. At this time of year, the town is normally engaged in annual festivities, commemorating the founding of their community just a few decades before. During the past few weeks however, the townspeople have been plagued by several grisly deaths and disappearances causing fear and dissension to spread like wildfire among them and effectively halting any form of joyous celebrations. During a recent town meeting to discuss their dire situation, it was decided by the elders that the townsfolk would request help from the Organization to rid themselves of the possible Yoma threat terrorizing them.

Anxiously waiting for the Claymore assigned to aid them, the townsfolk are surprised to see a mysterious male figure dressed in strange black clothing and orange hair, approaching from the East. People on the streets quickly enter their homes, lock their doors and arm themselves as Ichigo enters the town. He is greeted by wary eyes peaking through closed windows, behind crates and barrels as well as in the observation tower located in the center of the main street. The unfriendly and hostile atmosphere which can be felt throughout the area, neither dissuades nor intimidates the young soul reaper from entering the town, he is actually quite amused. After passing several houses, Ichigo is stopped by a large group of armed men suddenly appearing from the buildings on both sides of the street. A tall, burly man steps forward from the group to confront him with sword in hand.

"Who are you and what is your business here?"

"**What's it to you, twinkle toes**?"

"You speak strangely, are oddly dressed and you have the stench of death covered all over you as well, giving us more than enough reason to question you. Outsiders are not welcome here, especially with our current.....problems. You need to leave this town immediately!!"

"**Heh, and if I don't....whatcha gonna do 'bout it**?"

"I'll tell you one last time stranger, leave now or you'll regret ever coming here."

"**Oh, how scary.....my ass**!!!!"

"KILL HI....!"

Before he can finish his sentence, Ichigo quickly shunpos in front of him, startling everyone in the group.

"**Hey....guess what time it is**."

"Wha?!"

Ichigo grabs the surprised man by his neck with both hands and lifts him off his feet.

"**Before I came to your lousy little town, I destroyed several villages on the way and killed everyone in them. You were right not to trust me, but death comes for everyone and.....it's you're turn, bitch**."

"He...help...me!"

"**I'll bet you're the one having regrets now**."

His screams for help are ignored by his fellow townsmen as a sudden overwhelming terror consumes them. The man begins clenching his teeth tightly and his eyes roll back as Ichigo begins squeezing his neck with more force until it finally snaps like a twig. Ichigo smiles as he throws the limp, dead body like a rag doll at the man's comrades, sending a few of them crashing into the side of a building.

"**So, who's next**?"

One of the men looks down at the lifeless body of his friend and in a fit of rage, he draws his sword and points it at Ichigo. More men in his company quickly follow suit.

"He's got to be the Yoma that was attacking our village.....KILL HIM!!!"

"YEAH, KILL THE YOMA!!!"

The group simultaneously charges at Ichigo with their swords and spiked maces as Ichigo finds himself surprisingly overwhelmed by the unrelenting and furious attack of the townsfolk, bringing him down to one knee. Unfortunately for the group, it is not enough. Ichigo's reiatsu explodes like a volcano, hurling everyone in multiple directions.

"**OH** **HELL NO!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE TWO BASTARDS THAT JUST CALLED ME A YOMA**?!"

Ichigo looks around and finds the two men laying on the ground near a building. He walks over to them as they slowly try to crawl away in a futile attempt to escape.

"**Don't you assholes ever call me a Yoma again**!!"

As Ichigo stares at them with a look filled with fury and eyes which have turned psychotic, the two frightened men beg for mercy. He responds by crushing their hands with his feet causing them to scream in excruciating pain. He lifts both of them up by their collars and slams them into the nearby wall.

"**Here, let me show you what I really am**!"

He places his left hand over his forehead, materializing his Hollow mask and quickly brings it down over his face. The immense pressure causes everyone in the vicinity to drop to their hands and knees as they literally suffocate from Ichigo's dense reiatsu. The men are further terrified by the menacing sound of his reverberating voice.

"**_I'm gonna squash all of you like cockroaches_."**

He grabs the two men by their faces and charges a pair of Ceros with both hands. Their eyes open wide a fraction of a second before their heads explode from the release of the red energy beams. The buildings behind them gets completely obliterated by the blast, killing every person who were inside. Just then, Ichigo senses the ever-increasing, powerful yoki of an awakened being directly behind him. Under his mask, Ichigo grins with delight.

"_Just who the hell do you think you are killing my human cattle_?!_ You're going to die for that!_"

Grabbing his zanpakuto, Ichigo slowly turns around to face the creature which addresses him. What he sees is a large turtle-like creature with long, slender hind legs and a pair of short spikes covering his kneecaps. His front legs are slightly shorter with crescent shaped blades running down its entire length. At the end of his extremely long tail, sits several spikes, almost like the tail of a Stegosaurous. The head protruding from his protective shell is human-like, save for the horn in place of his nose and the sharp long fangs extruding from the bottom of his mouth.

"**_Human cattle? You really are a disgusting abomination, something which I'm gonna enjoy crushing_."**

"_Ha! When I'm through with you, I'm gonna slurp your innards and chew on your guts, savoring every moment as your life slowly slips away while you beg me to kill you quickly. But I'll just laugh and say no. Hahahahahaha_!"

"**_Heh, talk is cheap shithead_!"**

Ichigo rapidly raises his reiatsu as the awakened being quickly increases his yoki. Black reiryoku collides with orange-red yoki, causing an explosion which nearly engulfs the entire town.

* * *

Further towards the Western Lands, Miria has decided to rest by a river located just one day's journey east of the Zakol Mountains. Her much needed relaxation is disturbed by the sudden explosion of Ichigo's reiatsu. She quickly stands and looks east, towards Ichigo's location. The worried look on her face is more than enough for anyone to realize just how much she cares about him. She clenches her fists tightly as Ichigo's reiatsu rises even further, more than she's ever felt before.

'What's happening Ichigo?' she thinks to herself, 'What's causing you to go all out like this? Whatever it is, I must hurry and find Xeger before things get further out of control.'

Miria gathers her personal effects, secures her claymore and quickly leaves the area, continuing her search for Xeger and the remaining Horsemen by following the remnants of their Hollow/Yoma energy residue. Suddenly, she senses something which causes her to quickly turn around and grasp the handle of her broadsword. Someone's reiatsu....but it was only for an instant.

'What was that?!'

She scans the entire area where she felt the strange aura, but sees nothing. Warily, she sheathes her broadsword and hastily continues her journey toward the mountains in the west. The stranger who has been following both Ichigo and Miria, carefully remains hidden within the shadows. He grins eerily as he watches Miria travel westbound towards the setting sun.

'I think it'll be more fun if I follow her instead of Ichigo,' thinking to himself in amusement, "Maybe I'll be able to kill two birds with one stone.'

* * *

Deep within the Zakol Mountains.

Ichigo's sudden outburst is felt as far away as Xeger's complex, alarming both Reinhart and Lovino. The immense reiatsu they are sensing is enough to give even these two powerful awakened/hollowfied hybrids a feeling of dread. Lovino's facial expression is that of of concern as several beads of sweat rolls down the side of his face.

"Reinhart....did you feel that?"

"Yes I did. It would seem that either the boy is getting stronger or he has yet to show his full potential. Whatever the case maybe, I will do whatever it takes to kill him."

"And I'm with you. After what he did to Lugar and Galiver, I too wish to exact a measure of retribution."

"Xeger's experimentation is nearly complete. He no longer needs us here to stand vigil. I believe now would be the best time to strike, before the boy becomes more than we can handle."

"I agree. We should probably leave immediately. Are yo going to inform Xeger?"

"No. As he stated before, we can do whatever we please. In other words, we are of no further use to him. Which is fine by me."

"I too have no problem with that. Shall we depart soon?"

"Yes, let's go. Our time has finally come to annihilate this....human."

Unbeknownst to them, Xeger has been listening to their conversation from his study. He believes them to be fools for their adamant desire for revenge. He too has felt Ichigo's recent explosion of reiatsu and now believes that the two of them stand no chance against this boy who seems to be the harbinger of death, unless of course he decides to intervene and finally reveal the fruits of his hard labor.

"Heh, decisions, decisions....what shall I do?"

* * *

Ichigo's inner world.

Night and darkness fill the sky, but it's a different type of night. One with neither stars nor the moon to shine down upon the many buildings which lay side-ways throughout this world. Ichigo lays motionless upon such a building with the black cloth wrapping of his inner Hollow's zanpakuto, tightly wrapped around himself. He is a prisoner of his own world, trapped here by the evil which took over his body and soul, the same being which is currently wrecking havoc in the world outside of this one. Not only has Ichigo's body become evil, he has also become death incarnate, killing everything and everyone in his way. As each second ticks away, he is further drawn into the abyss, the same dark deep chasm from which the evil that controls him, emerged. He remains a helpless audience to the events which unfold through the eyes of the other being.

"_Ichigo_..."

"Le...leave me...al....alone."

"_No. You may think that he is stronger than you, but he is not. You must try to free yourself_."

"If you think it's so damn easy, old man, why don't you do it?!"

"_Because you have yet to even try_."

"Shut up....what's the point anway, I'm....I just seem to get everyone I care about killed...like my mom and....Miata."

"_Miata wasn't your fault. Besides_...."

"No? If I only reacted three seconds sooner....I could have saved her, but instead I....hesitated. If only we didn't go to that Inn or if I only listened to Miria and not get involved with her.....if.....maybe if I would've done the right thing, she'd still be alive."

"_Everyday, there is someone on the planet who wishes they could take a certain moment back, but it doesn't work that way. You've got to leave that moment behind and bury the dead_."

"Don't you see....I'm useless. I can't help anybody....I can't even help myself."

"_Nonsense. Do you remember when you saved Rukia in Soul Society as well as Orihime from Hueco Mundo. The odds were stacked against you, yet you managed to prevail_."

"That was different...."

"_How so_?"

"...cause they didn't die...."

"_Neither did Miata_."

"What do you mean?!"

"_Her life force faded, but did not extinguish completely_."

"She....she's still alive?"

"_I believe so_."

"I'm....it still doesn't change anything....look at what this evil has done. He's taken complete control over me and doing whatever he wants. What do you want me to do?"

"_You need to play the hand with which you were dealt, it's that simple_."

"Simple?! To you maybe, but I....just....just leave me alone o.k.!!"

"_No, I can not_...."

"What the hell do you want me to do about. I'm....trapped."

"_Then break free and deal your hand_."

"I TOLD YOU ALREADY....I CA...."

"_Why do you give up so easily? This is not the Ichigo I know_."

"Well, maybe this is who I really am now!!"

"_I honestly do not believe that_."

"I don't care what you bel...."

Suddenly, a small beam of light breaks through the darkness, shining partially on Ichigo's face. And just as suddenly, he hears the beautiful, familiar voice of someone from his past, calling his name.

"Ichigo...."

He turns his head with eyes wide open as the figure of a woman which slowly approaches him causes shock and confusion. For the first time since he was very young, Ichigo begins to cry.

**End of Chapter 15**


	16. Chapter 16: The Queen of Hearts

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Again, I would like to apologize for such a long wait. We're getting closer to the end of this story, just several chapters left. I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far. I would like to thank everyone again for your reviews and support, I wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for all of you. Thanks again!! Although, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, I hope you enjoy the next part of this story anyways. Here is Chapter 16, The Queen of Hearts. _

* * *

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 16: The Queen of Hearts**

_**"**Thanks for all you've done,  
I've missed you for so long,  
I can't believe you're gone,  
You still live in me,  
I feel you in the wind,  
You guide me constantly**"  
**__**-** Alter Bridge *_

In a town ravaged by a battle between two monsters, Ichigo stands in the middle of the chaos, smiling. The remains of the townsfolk are scattered throughout the area, creating a gruesome bloody carpet of dead bodies. The awakened being which he has been engaged in single combat with, is barely able to move due to the injuries he sustained at the hands of the deranged Hollowfied Shinigami. Both of his hind legs have been dismembered as well as his right arm. Purple blood copiously flows through the large crack in the upper portion of his turtle-like shell caused by a single Getsuga Tensho. His long spiky tail has been pulverized and severed, leaving only a bloody stump behind.

"**_Is this the best you got? I barely broke a sweat...how disappointing_."**

_"Fuck...you....you damn....human. I'm gonna...."_

"**_You're gonna what, stink me to death? Besides being extremely disgusting, you creatures smell like fish and shit mixed with vinegar and garlic along with a hint of onions."_**

_"You're gonna....die for insulting me. I....was a high ranked former single digit....I..."_

**_"Oh, shut up! Is that suppose to mean something to me? I don't give a damn what you were. To me you're nothing more than a pile shit."_**

Suddenly, with his remaining appendage, the awakened being grabs a corpse from the ground and throws it at Ichigo. With little effort, Ichigo severs the flying carcass in half with an upward swing of his zanpakuto, leaving him wide open to an attack initiated by the awakened being a fraction of a second later. His hyper-extended blades pierce Ichigo's midsection, hurling and impaling him to the side of a tree. The awakened being screams in triumphant laughter.

"Hahahaha, that's.....what you get for.....underestimating me....you pompous son of a bitch. I'm gonna....tear you to....pieces."

To the demon's astonishment, Ichigo grabs the demon's blades, pulling them with great force and sending the awakened being crashing into several trees, uprooting and splintering them in the process. Slowly, Ichigo pulls each of the blades out from his body as he falls to the ground due to the exertion from the strenuous effort. As blood gushes out from the wounds, Ichigo's body surprisingly begins to heal almost instantly. In mere moments, he quickly stands up, picking up his zanpakuto and slowly walks over to the battered, fallen demon.

"_What the....hell are you_?!"

"_**What am I?.....I'm death**_."

"I...skewered you! You should be dead!"

"**_Dead? That little scratch? It barely even tickled. C'mon shit for brains, you could do better than that!_**"

"_GO TO....HELL_!"

"**_Not in this lifetime fool! _****_Getsuga....what the hell...is this feeling?!_**"

Ichigo pauses, grabbing his chest as his heart is suddenly overtaken by a strange, somewhat painful warm sensation. The awakened being takes notice of his adversary's current state and decides to attack one last time. Small teeth-like spikes emerge from the surface of his tongue. As Ichigo remains distracted, the awakened being initiates his attack by propelling his tongue and wrapping it around Ichigo's neck with each small protruding spike deeply embedding itself into his flesh.

* * *

Ichigo's inner world.

"Is....is it really you....Mom?"

The woman walks over to Ichigo and kneels down in front of him, placing her hand on his right cheek, wiping away his tears. The warm, soft touch of her hand seems to soothe his soul and for the moment he feels like he's a little child once again. The small, warm beam of light shining through the darkness, grows in size until they are both fully enveloped within it.

"Yes my sweet Ichigo, it's me."

"But....ho...how is it possible....you...died when....when....how could it be you?"

"What do your feelings tell you?"

"Tha...that it really is you. But you....you're de...."

"Darling, as long as you keep me in your heart and precious memories, I'll never truly be gone. I'll always be with you, be a part of your soul. I'll never leave you."

"But I....I...."

Ichigo's emotions begin to overcome him as tears flow unbridled and he starts to cry once again. As she sits on the ground, she tenderly moves him, gently placing his head on her lap. She begins stroking his hair while wiping away more tears falling from his swollen eyes. Ichigo hasn't felt this way in quite a long time. The comfort and love he feels at the moment is enough to momentarily halt the tears and end the sadness.

"Ichigo, I know you feel responsible for what happened to me, but it truly wasn't your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself."

"But...but Mom, if it wasn't for me, you'd still be alive! I...I shouldn't have tried to help that....that....thing, it was so stupid!"

"That's just silly. You were very young, yet you felt the need to help someone that you thought was in trouble. I wouldn't have expected anything less from my brave little boy. You really are just like your father."

"But the person I was trying to help wasn't even human....she...it was a Hollow!"

"How could you have known? You were just doing what came naturally. There is nothing wrong with that."

"Yes there is! You had to protect me because I acted impulsively and it....I got you killed!"

"Please Ichigo, stop blaming yourself. A Mother's natural instinct is to protect their children from harm. You followed your instincts and I followed mine. I do not regret it one bit. If I had to do it all over again, I would without hesitation. If something happened to you that night, I really don't know what I would have done. I don't think I could have lived with myself knowing I failed to protect my child. Always remember that I protected you because I love you, Ichigo. You'll always be my sweet baby boy. "

"But...I..."

"Don't let this evil that grew within you prevail. You have your whole life in front of you. I know with all my heart that you were meant for great things. There's still so much for you to experience. Your father and sisters are still there, waiting. They still need you. Your friends need you too. Please don't throw all of that away. Come back from the darkness....don't let my death be in vain."

"...m..mom...but he's so strong. He's made me evil. I don't think I can beat him."

"Yes you can, my dear. He is just a culmination of all your frustrations, all of your sorrow, pain and hatred...but especially all of your guilt and remorse. He came from the deepest, darkest part of your soul. Send him back. Let all those terrible emotions go, don't let them consume you. I don't blame you for what happened to me, neither does your father and sisters. Just throw all of those bad feelings away right now."

"But look at all the death and destruction I've caused because of him...."

"It wasn't you that killed all those people. Please understand that. Fight him, Ichigo. Defeat him."

"I...can't..."

"We all believe in you, son. Your father, Karin, Yuzu, all your friends and especially me. You can do it...."

"But I'm....trapped, restrained."

"Then break free."

"....can you....help me?"

"I'm sorry, I can not. I don't have that kind of strength, but you do. You can set yourself free."

"How?"

"Summon all your power, all your resolve, all your being and all the love of your family and friends. You can do it, son. I believe in you."

Masaki leans forward and kisses her son on his cheek as a single tear drop falls from her eye, landing on Ichigo's face. He feels her warm, wonderful aura surrounding him, giving him strength. The strong sense of love emanating from his mother causes his reiatsu to rise exponentially. The black wrapping which currently binds him, begins to stretch and tear as more reiatsu pours fourth from his being.

"That's it, my dear Ichigo....I know you could do it."

* * *

Near the large river next to the desolate town, the battle continues as the awakened being seemingly has the upper hand. The spikes protruding from his tongue, tears away at Ichigo's neck, causing major damage. He feels he has won this fight, he believes in a few more seconds, he'll rip this boy's head clean off. Unfortunately, he's in shock when he realizes that he's wrong.

"**_HOW DARE YOU PUT YOUR DISGUSTING TONGUE ON ME, YOU GROTESQUE PIECE OF SHIT!! I'M GONNA TEAR OFF YOUR UGLY FUCKING HEAD_**!"

"_Wha_?!..."

Ichigo drives Zangetsu into the awakened being's long, extended organ, causing him to release his hold on Ichigo. He tries to scream, but is unable to do so as Ichigo grabs his tongue with both hands and forcibly rips it in half lengthways. The awakened being howls in extreme pain just as Ichigo moves toward him with blinding speed. He grabs the mutilated demon by his face, sending them both into the river. After several seconds, the two of them emerge from below the water. Ichigo grabs the upper and lower parts of the awakened being's jaws with both hands. He begins to pull them apart with sheer force.

"**What's the matter? Does it hurt? Well, I ain't done yet mother fucker!**"

The awakened being can do nothing but watch helplessly as the flesh surrounding his mouth begins to slowly tear like paper. His eyes seem to plead for mercy, something which Ichigo doesn't notice. To be honest, even if he did, he could care less. In an instant, Ichigo tears the bottom half of his jaw away from the rest of his head as purple blood erupts from the gaping cavity. He then drives his fist deep down the monster's throat and grins.

"**_So, you like eating humans, right? Then swallow this, bitch_**!"

Ichigo fires a cero from within the awakened being's body, causing it to explode in thousands of pieces. The river momentarily turns purple as demon blood mixes with water. Ichigo stares into the sky and howls like a wild animal, triumphantly screaming with maniacal laughter. Dispelling his hollow mask, he makes his way back to dry land. Suddenly, grogginess and confusion overwhelm his senses. He presses against a tree to prevent himself from falling down, but it's a futile attempt. He quickly collapses in a heap as the darkness begins to overtake him. Before passing out, he says two words.

"**....Ichigo?....im..possible.....**"

**End of Chapter 16**

***** This quote was taken from the song, _In Loving Memory_ by Alter Bridge


	17. Chapter 17: Unholy Alliance

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Before I continue, I would just like to clear up a few things regarding this story. An anonymous reviewer gave me a negative review, which I don't mind at all of course, but he/she seems to have a problem with this story having too many OCs and the fact that it doesn't follow the current Claymore storyline. First, the reason for having so many OCs is due to the fact that the characters which I've created will, at some point during the story, be killed off. I obviously can not kill off canonical characters from either mangas, so my only option is to create several of my own which I can have the freedom to do. Second, this story takes place during the seven year time skip (something which I stated in the first chapter to avoid confusion). Keep in mind that there is NO actual "storyline" for this time period. We don't know what actually happened between the time after the War in the North to Clarice's first appearance seven years later in the next chapter. So, I don't understand what this particular reviewer was talking about when he/she said that it doesn't follow the Claymore storyline when in actuality there isn't one to follow. Due to the fact that this reviewer decided to post the review anonymously, I have no way of asking or explaining it to them._

_Anyways, I'd like to thank all of you once again for your continued reviews and support. I'd like to also thank the "usual suspects" :D, **The Doorstopper** and **Samurai89** for their invaluable advice as always, as well as **Konerok Hadorak** for pointing out a few things. Well, I hope you like this next Chapter: Unholy Alliance_

* * *

**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**

**Chapter 17: Unholy Alliance **

Ichigo's inner world.

Beads of sweat rolls down the side of Ichigo's face like small rivers as he strains to break free from the stranglehold placed upon him. His reiatsu pulses forth unimpeded like an explosion, each wave more intensifying than the next. He grits his teeth as more of the black wrapping rips and tears until finally, the bonds which restrain him is literally torn asunder. He screams, not from pain or anguish, but from exulting victory. Shakily, he stands up from the ground, but quickly drops to both knees. The titanic effort he put forth to set himself free has practically drained him of both strength and power.

"Mo....mom....I did...it."

Unfortunately, he recieves no answer, just the deafening sound of silence. He quickly looks in all directions, but to his dismay, his mother is nowhere to be found.

"....Mom?!"

A great sense of sadness as well as loneliness begins to overtake his emotions until suddenly, he feels a warm gentle breeze flow across his face. He then hears the whisper of the loving woman who has saved his life once again, a whisper which seems to strengthen his soul. The feeling of lonely sadness quickly dissipates and is replaced by a sense of joy and happiness. He looks down at the ground, closes his eyes and smiles.

"Thank you mom for saving my life again. I owe you so much. I'll never forget you....you'll always be a part of my heart and soul. I love you...."

From one knee, he steadily gets up from the ground with renewed vigor. For a moment, he pauses to stare up into the partially lit sky of his inner world. He knows what he must do, first free Zangetsu then face the evil darkly mirror which has taken over his soul. Reaching out to Hollow Ichigo's zanpakuto, he takes a firm grasp upon its handle and pulls, releasing an enormous amount of reiatsu as well, yet....nothing happens. It's stuck fast as if magically held in place by an unknown force. He grabs the handle with both hands and pulls with all his might, but the sword adamantly refuses to move and remains embedded in the ground. Try as he might, time after time, he can not free the sword and release Zangetsu from his temporary prison. His face begins to show signs of utter frustration and anger.

"What the hell is going on here?! Why the hell can't I pull this freakin sword out?!"

"_Ichigo, you are the only one who can free us. You must try harder, time is of the essence._"

"What do you think I'm trying to do, old man....bake a cake?! I can't get the damn thing out!!"

"_Brute strength isn't always the answer. There's always more than one way to accomplish a task_."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?! There's no other way to free you except to pull out his zanpakuto."

"_Are you certain_?"

"What do you mean, am I certain?! Of course I am.....wait...maybe I can try...."

"_Hurry Ichigo_...._the evil,_ _he's coming_."

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut up already, O.K.....here we go...."

Ichigo grabs the black handle tightly with his right hand and places his left hand on his right forearm. A torrential wirlwind of white reiatsu begins to form around him.

"BAN....KAI!!"

* * *

Deep within the Zakol Mountains.

After carefully avoiding Reinhart and Lovino as they traveled eastbound towards the town laid waste by Evil Ichigo and the Awakened Being, Miria finally arrives at the foot of the mountain which houses Xeger's hidden complex. She pauses to survey the area and locate a point of entry into the location then hastily moves forward to begin her reconnoiter. After just a few minutes, she locates a breach in the side of the mountain, the same hole caused by the deceased Galiver's enraged outburst. Miria reaches over her head, grasps the handle and draws her claymore, being careful to unsheathe it as quietly as possible.

'I don't sense anyone else inside except Xeger,' she thinks to herself, 'The other two has traveled east and by now, should be very far from this area and pose no immediate threat to me. It'll make the confrontation with Xeger much less difficult. Although, I must remain on guard at all times. The last I saw of Xeger, he showed some signs of unnatural abilities."

She silently makes her way into the complex, clearing the first room with slow, methodical movement. The sound of oncoming footsteps catches her attention and she quickly leans, with great care, against the wall near the door that leads out into the hallway. As soon as the footsteps pass the room where she is situated, she carefully peeks out through the partially opened door and watches Xeger enter another room further down from her. Cautiously, she opens the door without creating any sound and makes her way down the narrow hallway to the room which she saw him enter. Although the door is completely closed, Xeger is well aware of her presence. He places the glass of wine on his desk and smiles as he turns to face the door.

"Hello, Miria. It's nice of you to visit. Please come in."

She pauses for a moment, temporarily taken aback at both his ability to detect her and the unexpected friendly greeting she receives from him. Quickly gathering her composure, she enters the room with sword in hand and comes face to face with the man she's been hunting. The strange smirk on his face is reminiscent of the man she secretly deals with from the Organization, Rubel. Xeger sets the book which he was reading down on the desk behind him then turns back around to face her.

"You're probably wondering how I knew you were here even though you've taken Yoki suppresion pills and was extremely careful not to make any sound as you entered my complex."

"The thought had crossed my mind for an instant."

"Well, to be honest. I can still sense your suppressed yoki even though it has mutated a bit. It would also seem that you possess Hollow energy as well. How intriguing. How did you manage to aquire such power without the process which I've developed?"

"As I said, the thought crossed my mind for **only an instant**."

"Heh, your reputation and mannerism precedes you. You're also quite beautiful and attractive as they say."

"Don't patronize me Xeger. I didn't come here to...."

"On the contrary, I'm not like those other insensitive people from the Organization. I sincerely care about the girls I've transformed into their soldiers. I've found a great number of them to be just as beautiful, but you on the other hand, seem to have something special.....in an extremely sexual way. Don't get me wrong, I've had.....intimate encounters with other female soldiers in the past, but for some odd reason, I think you'd be the best of the bunch."

"Not in this lifetime, Xeger."

"Oh, maybe you've already shared such an encounter with that human Hollow boy you've been traveling around with. Tell me, how was it for you?"

".....that's none of your business. I didn't come here to discuss my personal life with you. I came here for two reasons."

"Yes of course. When we first met, you told me that you will do everything you can to stop me. What's the other?"

"How did you bring Ichigo and those Hollows into our world?"

"So that's the boy's name. Anyways, seeing as how I'm in a happy state of mind right now, I'll tell you. As you probably DON'T know, there are possibly an infinite number of alternate realities, other worlds which we know nothing about. Me and my lot accidently tapped into one such world.....your companion and lover, Ichigo's. We constructed a building in that valley near Pieta to perform certain experiments. Due to an accident I caused when trying to augment my....comrades, an enormous amount of energy was released causing the atmoshere in the surrounding area to de-stabilize, literally tearing the fabric of time and space which created a hole between our two worlds. It was originally small in size but it never closed or collapsed. As time went on, this.....doorway grew in size each time my comrades would feed.....on humans. I deduced that for some unexplainable reason, each human death would cause it to grow."

"So you decided to try an experiment. Collect and kill as many humans to see just how large your "doorway" can get. You wanted it large enough so the five of you could travel to the other side."

"Very good. You are as smart as they say. I'm actually impressed. To continue, what I finally realized is why the opening kept growing. In the other world, there were creatures on the otherside of the doorway trying to get through, forcing their way into ours. Hollows. It would seem that the human deaths were driving them into some kind of a frenzy state. After some time, they finally broke through and attacked us, but we managed to exterminate them all."

"They were in a frenzy because of the many souls which were released after your group killed all those humans. The Hollows have an insatiable appetite and are always hungry. They devour the souls of humans."

"Interesting. I thought as much, so I decided on another experiment. Were they also attracted to the deaths of Yoma as well?"

"So you and your group used an entire village for this experiment. You kidnapped the people there and brought them to the valley, which in turn, brought a horde of Yoma there as a result."

"Indeed. Your level of intelligence is quite surprising for a mere soldier. Anyhow, as the Yoma began feeding on the humans, my men would kill the Yoma. At first, only the smaller Hollows like the ones which attacked us, came through. Then as a result of many more Yoma being slaughtered, an enormous lumbering giant emerged. Although quite powerful, it was also quite stupid. Reinhart and his men were able to outwit and finally kill it. As you know, I used its corpse and the same process which creates Organization soldiers on Reinhart and his men, as well as myself."

"Thereby creating a new powerful breed. Strong enough to possibly kill even an Abyssal One. A Yoma-Hollow hybrid."

"Correct."

"There's just one thing that doesn't make any sense to me. I was told that Hollows as well as Ichigo are beings of spiritual energy in nature, normally invisible to living beings such as you and I. How did you make them materialize to become flesh and bone?"

"Spirit Beings? How fascinating! The only thing that comes to mind is something called transmutation. Their forms were somehow altered from a state of energy to solid matter. Most possibly, traveling through the rift causes a change on a molecular level. I'm only taking an educated guess here, but it's extraordinarily fascinating none the less."

"So how can I get Ichigo back to his world?"

"I think I've told you quite enough for the moment. Why don't we get comfortable and relax a bit?"

"Why don't I just take your head and send it on a platter to the Organization?"

"For one, you hate the Organization as much I do and would like to see nothing more than their ultimate downfall. What's that old saying....The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"You pose a significant threat to this world and I will not allow you to kill anymore innocent people."

"Understandable, however, I'm the only one who can get your Hollow boy back to his world and you wouldn't dare risk killing me until that's accomplished."

"You obviously don't know me."

"Don't bullshit me, Miria. I can see all too well how much you care about this.....Ichigo. Maybe you should run along now and help him before it's too late."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I'm sure you noticed Reinhart and Lovino has traveled East not too long ago. Why do you think they're heading in that direction? It sure isn't to have a picnic, I can assure you that."

"I'll be back Xeger and when I do, We're going to finish our discussion."

"I've got a better idea.......join me. Let's destroy the Organization together and conquer this island. We can be king and queen and rule this miserable rock together."

Miria ignores Xeger's final comment with a look of disgust. She turns away and raises her claymore, placing it back into its sheath with a large clank. She quickly leaves the compound, racing toward the east, hoping she can get there in time to aid the boy she seems to have fallen for. How uncharacteristic of her.

"Hmph.....I'll make you see things my way, Miria. In the end, if you won't join me, I don't mind making you into a sex slave," Xeger comments out loud with an evil smirk.

* * *

Ichigo's Inner World.

As the reddish white reiatsu fades, Ichigo's outline becomes more visible until every single detail comes into focus. It seems to have worked, the zanpakuto is no longer embedded into the "ground" from which it was trapped, it's firmly grasped in the hand of the young soul reaper. No longer is its form the large meat clever looking sword, but has transformed into Tensa Zangetsu. However, things are different, opposite even. His shihakusho and hakama are no longer black, but white, just like Hollow Ichigo. This includes the zanpakuto, it's blade is white and the handle black. A look of confusion and surprise is cleanly chiseled onto Ichigo's face.

"What the hell is this?! What's happening?"

"_**Ain't it obvious, former king**_?"

"Wha?! Ogihci!"

Ichigo quickly turns around to find both Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo standing behind him.

"**_You're me now. Hehehehe_**."

"No....that's impossible."

"_What he's saying isn't entirely true, Ichigo. But because you used bankai with his zanpakuto you've aquired a great portion of his reiatsu and power_."

"**_Only because I let a weakling like you have it. I'll lend you my powers for now, but don't think for one second that this is a permanent thing and don't think I'll be gracious enough to do it again, former king!_**"

"Why the hell do you keep calling me that?!"

"_What matters is the fact that you were able to free us in time_. _Prepare yourself, Ichigo. He'll be here soon_."

"**_Yeah former king, you'd better listen to the old man_**."

"Dammit, stop calling me that! Why the hell would you help me anyways?!"

"**_Man, you really are stupid, ain'tcha. I'm helping you cause it suits my needs. It's easier to dethrone a king who is weaker than me, compared to an evil king who is at my level. If you can kill this clown, I've got a chance of crushing your skull and becoming the top dog around here. It's that simple. Consider this a temporary truce, although I'd like to call it an Unholy Alliance. Hehehehehe_**"

"You son of a......!"

"_Ichigo, he's here_."

"Huh?!"

A sudden explosion of black reiatsu seemingly engulfs the entire inner world. Its aura is so densely evil that it sends shivers up Ichigo's spine. Suddenly, the enormous reiatsu implodes in on itself and begins to form a hideous doppelganger of the orange haired young man. His clothes are torn to shreds and covered in blood. Atop his head, protrudes two horns of the same length, arching sharply forward. His dark crimson skin and pointed ears gives him the appearance of a demon. But his entirely crimson eyes along with his horns, makes him look like a devil. Finally, he smiles, exposing his long fangs.

"**Well, well, well, what do we have here.......Dopey....Grumpy....and.....Oldy. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously though....I'm gonna kill you all**!"

**End of Chapter 17**


	18. Chapter 18: Number of the Beast

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:_ _I sincerely would like to apologize to everyone for such an extremely long wait. Other than the fact that I've had writer's block the past year and a half as well as losing interest in writing altogether, I also lost my log in info and just got lucky with the password recently. To continue this story, I had to re-read it from the beginning. I actually agree with some of the negative reviews I received. All in all, I'm not very happy with my writing skills or the pace of the storyline, something which I'm going to try and improve upon with the remaining chapters. I apologize for not responding to your comments due to the reasons stated above, but your reviews, advice and support are very much appreciated. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Take care!_

* * *

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 18: Number of the Beast **

_**"And I stood upon the sand of the sea,  
And saw a beast rise up out of the sea,  
Having seven heads and ten horns,  
And upon his horns, ten crowns,  
And upon his head,  
The name of Blasphemy"**_**  
**_**- **__Revelation 13:1, King James Version_

Ichigo's Inner world.

"**Well, enough with the jokes. Time to swallow your soul, boy.**"

"Just who or what in the hell are you?" yells an infuriated Ichigo

"**You know, you're very powerful for a human, but not very bright. How many times do I have to explain it to you?**"

"_He's originally from Hell, Ichigo._" Zangetsu responds, "_Now, he resides here and is unfortunately a part of you now._"

"Hell?"

"**Give the old man a cigar! Yes, dimwit, I'm from Hell. They cast me down from above and imprisoned me millenia ago, but I found a way to escape. As you probably don't know, humans are inherently born with the potential for evil. I used your anger, hate, self pity and despair as a back door into your soul. There I stayed and waited patiently for your powers to develop and grow. I knew once that happened, I can take over your soul and "They" wouldn't have the power to stop me. I took a gamble on you to help free me, Ichigo. You definitely didn't disappoint**"

"_**I think there's only one problem with your plan, asshole**_" Hollow Ichigo retorts with a large grin, "_**We outnumber you.**_"

"**Ha, like that'll be a problem. If you don't recall, I beat you down pretty easy before.**"

"_**You got lucky last time, bastard!**_"

In a fit of rage, Hollow Ichigo quickly steps forward as if to attack, but is immediately stopped by Zangetsu

"_Do not play into his hands, he is baiting you to make the first move. He would have eventually taken your remaining powers and add it to his own, giving him an enormous advantage._"

Clearly showing signs of irritation and impatience, _Demon Ichigo_ begins raising his reiatsu, causing parts of the building surrounding him to shatter and fly outward, away from his increasing evil spirit pressure. Just as suddenly, his body mass, claws and the horns atop his head grow in an unnatural size, giving the already edgy group more reason to proceed with extreme caution. In response, Ichigo raises his reiatsu as well, while simultaneously bringing his zanpakuto up to a defensive position.

"**Enough with all the stupid banter, let's get on with the show, boys!**"

Suddenly, explosions and flames sweep through Ichigo's inner world. One after another, building after building, they crumble and fall. The remains of each collapses into what can only be described as an ocean of fire, until only one monolithic building is left standing, the one in which the four "individuals" happen to be standing on.

Demon Ichigo brings his zanpakuto over his head as crimson red energy bleeds from the entire length of the blade. Without warning, he swings it downward in a vertical slash which causes the energy building within to shoot violently outward. A mixture of Getsuga and Hell Fire quickly travels toward the three combatants as they look on. A gigantic explosion ensues as the large wave of fire and black energy impacts the side of the building. Bright red balls of flame shoot outward from the center of the rising plume of smoke, bombarding the vicinity with wanton destruction. Barely evading the sudden attack, both Ichigo and the Hollow reappear several hundred yards away. Unfortunately it would seem, Zangetsu is not so lucky.

"OLD MAN!" Ichigo screams while scanning the area for any signs of the manifested spirit of his zanpakuto

"**You really shouldn't be worrying about him right now. I'd worry more about yourself.**"

Shocked at the sound and distance of Demon Ichigo's voice, Ichigo promptly turns his head to find his nemesis standing only a few feet away. Before he can act, the Demon swings his sword and inflicts a vicious blow, causing large amounts of blood to spray from the injury.

* * *

A small town in the Western Lands.

The unconscious body of the young soul reaper has been laying seemingly lifeless on the ground for possibly days. The partially destroyed and splintered tree which sat between him and the river, suddenly uproots, landing on the lower half of his body. At that moment, Reinhart and Lovino arrive at the west end of the ravaged town with the murderous intent of killing Ichigo as slowly and painfully as possible.

"He's here somewhere Lovino," Reinhart says with a growl, "I can sense his foul-smelling yoki nearby."

"I sense it as well, but somehow it's changed. Feels heavier and...darker, Reinhart"

"I don't care about that. I just want to tear this boy in half and shove his entrails down that scrawny neck. Search the north part of this town, I'll check this way." responds Reinhart, pointing towards the south east region, "If you find him first, do nothing until I arrive."

"Whatever you say, Reinhart."

The two temporarily part ways, each rummaging through the wreckage and rubble of the once amiably pleasant town. A normal person would be horrified, disturbed and nauseous with all the death and destruction caused by Demon Ichigo's rampage, but these two are not normal or even human anymore. They ignore the stench of rotting bodies strewn everywhere, kicking and tossing the carcasses of the townsfolk which happen to be in their way. Just several kilometers west of the town, a lone female figure swiftly races towards the location of her former companion, ignoring the enormous stress that she's putting her body through by continuously employing the technique which she learned from the young man.

"I've got to get to him in time." Miriya says aloud under heavy breathing, "The strain on my body is almost unbearable. I've been using shunpo nonstop since leaving Xeger's compound, but I will not let anything happen to Ichigo. I'm getting closer, I can feel his reiatsu. It's...different from before."

With a growing sense of urgency, Miriya raises her yoki and increases her pace, hoping to close the distance before the awakened beings can locate and possibly harm the person she has uncharacteristically grown deep feelings for.

"What's happening to you, Ichigo? Something just doesn't feel right..."

After searching the southern area for nearly half an hour, Reinhart decides to head towards the river to continue his search for Ichigo. He can sense the boy's spiritual pressure getting stronger and more pronounced with each step he takes. Feeling that his prey is almost within his grasp, he hastily makes his way to the site of the recent battlefield and stops just short of the fallen tree, finding Ichigo pinned underneath it.

"So that's where you've been hiding, boy. I'm really going to enjoy tearing you to pieces."

Transforming all the fingers on his right hand into long sharp blades, Reinhart methodically cuts through the branches of the uprooted tree, slowly but surely making his way to the comatose body of his would-be victim. Shards of wood and bark are sent hurling through the air, some embedding itself into Ichigo's body, while others land on the ground, forming a small field of spikes. He is eventually rewarded for his efforts, finally reaching his intended target. Kneeling on one knee, Reinhart examines his foe and realizes that the person he's been hunting for all this time, is totally void of any consciousness. He continuously slaps Ichigo's head, hoping to get some kind of response, but to no avail, which causes absolute rage to build within him. Feeling cheated out of his strong need for revenge, he promptly grabs Ichigo by the neck with his left hand and raises him a few feet above the ground. As Ichigo's body literally hangs listless like a rag doll, Reinhart places his right hand over the young man's face and begins charging a cero.

"You aren't going to rob me of my vengeance, kid" a snarling Reinhart yells, "I'm going to take your head clean off, rip you to pieces then drag whatever's left of your lifeless body back to our compound."

In the small space between Reinhart's palm and Ichigo's head, red light grows in illumination and intensity. Although he knows that Ichigo is completely unaware of what is about to happen, Reinhart's feeling of satisfaction nearly overcomes him. Then, without any hint or preview, a quick glimmer of steel abruptly separates Reinhart's left hand from his wrist, quickly changing the expression of his face from utter victory to horrified shock. Ichigo's limp body falls to the ground with the remains of Reinhart's hand still grasping the boy's neck.

"ARGH!" Reinhart grunts with pain, "Who the fuck?..."

Holding the stump of his left arm while purple blood flows profusely from the open wound, Reinhart turns to see the black-clad female standing to his left with claymore in hand. She flicks her large sword toward the ground with ease, causing most of the Awakened Being's blood to fly off the blade. She then points her sword at the Hollow hybrid, showing him her intent if provoked.

"You bitch!"

"So I see, even with you being a former **number 6** warrior, you still have no honor whatsoever. Trying to kill a foe who can not even fight back is quite despicable." Miriya says in disgust, "Step away from the boy."

"Ha, you wish whore. Suck on this"

With surprising speed, Reinhart quickly charges and fires a cero directly at a surprised Miria. Taken aback for only a fraction of a second, Miria is able to shunpo away from the oncoming crimson energy beam and reappears at her opponent's blind-side. She swings her claymore diagonally, slashing Reinhart deeply across his back. He responds by slicing Miria in half at the midsection with his bladed right hand, but unfortunately, he's only able to cut through a mirage of his attacker.

"I'll admit, your speed is really impressive, but now let's see who the better former **number 6** really is."

Reinhart propels his hyper-extended finger blades at Miria, but the attack is deflected by her claymore. She initiates a counter-attack by rushing headlong at her foe with inhuman speed, swiftly avoiding every single attack directed at her. Leaving a trail of mirages in her wake, she effectively confuses Reinhart, leaving him open to assault. Appearing unexpectedly in front of Reinhart, in one single moment, she quickly thrusts her broadsword straight through the left side of his chest. He tries to counter by shooting out a barrage of needle-like stilettos from his mouth at point blank range. Ducking underneath the onslaught in one fluid motion, Miria pulls her claymore from Reinhart's body and slashes him horizontally across the throat. He reels back in pain, holding the wound created by the edge of Miria's blade, then drops down to both knees. Kicking Reinhart in the chest, Miria causes him to fall backwards onto the wooden spike covered ground, impaling him. He cries out in pain, but is outright ignored by the woman who continues to drive him deeper into the ground with her right foot.

With her claymore raised high in the air, Miria states in a low voice, "It's over Reinhart..."

"Oh, you think so, eh?"

Placing his right hand slightly over his forehead, Reinhart begins to materialize a Hollow mask. Miria is visibly shocked as he brings the mask down over his face. A combination of monstrous reiatsu and yoki fills the air surrounding the two combatants. So great is the spirit pressure that it threatens to overwhelm Miria's senses. She rapidly retreats away from the area, giving herself more breathing room just as Reinhart stands up to face her. The mask he dons is in the shape of a white deformed head with two spikes protruding from the sides, just slightly above the oval shaped eye openings. His eyes are no longer silver in color, but black surrounding red pupils. Every wound inflicted by Miria mere moments ago, begin to heal at a rapid rate. As he speaks, his deep, reverberating voice seems to echo menacingly throughout the small town.

"**You're right about one thing Miria, this battle is definitely over. Hahaha!**"

Before he can say another word, Miria immediately launches another assault against the newly Hollowfied Awakened, assuming to take him by surprise. Moving faster than the human eye can follow, her first offensive move is a strike to Reinhart's midsection, but somehow it's easily parried. She immediately changes tactics. Completely circling her enemy at greater speeds than she previously attempted, Miria manages to create dozens upon dozens of mirage after-images, completely surrounding Reinhart in every direction. She hopes to disorient him long enough to give her another opening. Reinhart fires a wide cero in a single direction and hits nothing but empty air. Miria decides that this is the opportunity she's been waiting for and charges him at full speed with her claymore drawn back. Reappearing just to the rear of him, she takes a full swing at his head with the intention of decapitation. To her horror however, Reinhart is able to catch her broadsword, barehanded without injury.

"**Are you really naive enough to think that would work on me a second time?**"

Grabbing Miria by her arm, Reinhart flings her into the air and fires off a volley of red bala blasts which strikes her center mass. The resulting blow sends her hurling into a small grove of trees. Without skipping a beat, he charges a cero, aiming at the area where she landed.

"**Time to die, you silver-eyed bitch.**"

He releases the built up energy and fires the beam at a slightly incapacitated Miria. At that moment, another cero is fired, originating from the treetops just above the female warrior's location. In an instant, both ceros collide, creating a huge explosion and sending dirt and debris catapulting up into the air. As the fire and smoke dissipates, Reinhart glances toward the origin of the second cero and senses another strong spiritual energy.

"**Who are you?**" questions Reinhart in a calm, but demanding tone, "**You might as well come out now.**"

Laughing maniacally, the lone figure which Reinhart refers to, jumps to the ground from the top of the treeline and draws his sword. His identity is still barely visible due to the amount of smoke still remaining in the air. Seemingly thrilled about the situation, the stranger smiles with an evil grin and continues laughing hysterically.

"So you found me out, it's about fuckin' time. I was getting seriously bored by just watching you guys. By the way, with that mask on, you remind me of someone..."

"**I asked who you are...Hollow!**"

"Me? I'm...someone who just doesn't give a shit about what you're asking. I find it ironic though, that both you and that woman are former **number sixes**."

"**What the hell is so ironic about that?**"

Holding his sword as if to perform a low sweeping stroke, the stranger places his left hand over the sword, near the handle. In one swift motion, he rakes his fingers along the blade, causing it to glow blue. His reiatsu spikes, releasing a torrent of spirit energy which creates a small whirlwind around his feet. Miria, getting up slowly, watches the events unfold from a distance and wonders who this new stranger is.

"Well, I'm a former **number six** as well...the former 6th Espada."

"**Espada?**"

As tremendous gusts of wind encircle his entire body, he says only two words, "Grind...PANTERA!"

**End of Chapter 18**


	19. Chapter 19: The Triumvirate

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Well, here's another long awaited chapter that I finally had the chance to finish._ _I apologize for taking so long with continuing this story. I have been extremely busy with work and other things, but just recently broke up with my girlfriend. Because of this, I decided to get my mind off of her by writing._ _I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews, advice, support and patience, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this next chapter of The Yoma Hollowfications. Take care!_

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 19: The Triumvirate **

_Ichigo's Inner world._

In a surprising and definitely uncharacteristic move, Hollow Ichigo steps between a shocked Ichigo and the Demon, taking the latter's attack head on. Blood sprays in all directions as the Demon cuts deep...but Hollow Ichigo cuts deeper. The wound he inflicted is so large that most of the Demon's entrails are left hanging out from the wide open laceration causing blood to pour out like a mini red waterfall.

"**Hurgh...hehehe, nice move. You purposely took my assault, leaving me open to attack then striking me with the zanpakuto in Ichigo's hand. Not only did you...urghh...manage to injure me, you also saved him from certain death**."

Ichigo, staring at his Hollow in bewilderment, "You actually...saved me?"

"_**Heh, don't try to make it something's it's not. I saw an opening and I took it. That's all there is to it. I got tired of this asshole's mouth.**_"

"**HAHAHAHA! You really don't think that this little scratch is suppose to hurt me, do you? You two really are dumb fucks! Have you forgotten, this isn't your world anymore Ichigo, it's mine.**"

Pushing his intestines back into his body, Demon Ichigo let's out a roar that would frighten even a large pride of lions. The sound wave caused by his outburst causes the surrounding debris to fly outward at subsonic velocity. Both Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo quickly shunpo away from the path of the deadly onslaught. Moving at speeds that even Ichigo can not follow, Demon Ichigo disappears from his current location in the blink of an eye.

"What the...where the hell did he go?! Dammit!" Ichigo screamed

"_**How the fuck should I know?! Weren't you watching**_?!"

"Shut up!...He's close I can feel his...reiatsu..."

"_**Yeah, that smelly bastard is here somewhere. Watch your ass former king**_."

"I said shut up already! Who the hell is this guy?!"

Suddenly appearing behind both Ichigo and his hollow, Demon Ichigo quickly grabs both by their necks and squeezes with superhuman strength, which neither of his enemies are able to break away from.

"**You want to know who I really am? I'm one of the Fallen. My name is...Azazel. I was responsible for teaching mortals such as yourself the art of warfare, creating weapons and other things related to corrupting your very nature to wickedness and impurity. For that, I was cast down from Heaven and chained by Raphael to the jagged rocks of Duduael, in the darkness until the Day of Judgement. I'm not waiting until then, the rebellion against Heaven will start after I destroy your soul and free my brothers from Hell, Ichigo. Time to die! Heaven awaits my return.**"

Tossing Hollow Ichigo into the air with great force, Azazel fires a beam of concentrated Hell Fire from his mouth at his helpless foe, hurtling him further up into the dark, red sky. An enormous explosion ensues, seemingly wiping out the Inner Hollow from existence. Azazel, turning his head to look at the young soul reaper, materializes a bright red, flaming sword in his right hand. This is one of the powerful Angelic swords created in Heaven which all Angels, including fallen ones, wield.

"**Before I erase you from this plane of reality, I wanted to say thank you for giving me your strength and power to escape my exile as well as helping to bring down all of Heaven. Farewell, boy...ARGHHH!**"

Without warning, Azazel is quickly slashed in the back by an unknown assailant, nearly cutting him in half. Releasing Ichigo from his grasp, he turns to look at the one who had suddenly attacked him.

"**Oh, it's you...funny, I thought I destroyed you already. It would seem I miscalculated. You may look different, but your spiritual pressure is the same...Zangetsu.**"

Hovering in the air above the two combatants, a raven-haired, hooded figure clad in black looks down upon the fallen angel without so much as a single expression on his face.

"Wrong, _I am Tensa Zangetsu and this battle is far from over, demon._"

"**Ha, what can you do all by yourself? You may be strong, but not powerful enough to beat me, fool**!"

"_I never said I was alone..._"

Stepping from behind Tensa Zangetsu, another figure wearing nearly all white with a black-horned mask, makes his appearance known. Lifting the mask above his head, he smiles with a sinister grin.

"**Impossible! How can that be? I just destroyed you too...**"

"_**Beats me. I thought I was done for, but unlucky for you, that's not the case at all.**_"

"**Even so, both of you combined still has no chance of defeating me. I have my demonic powers along with Ichigo's strength. I will tear you all into little tiny bits until what remains, blows away in the wind. You should start praying to whatever God you worship**."

"_**Funny you should talk about Ichigo's strength**_", Hollow Ichigo chuckles, pointing to the area behind the demon

Azazel turns around to find that Ichigo has suddenly disappeared. He realizes too late that the boy has quickly joined the other two above him. With a look of slight fear, Ichigo stares with horror at the sight of Hollow Ichigo's appearance as well as a look of confusion at the sight of Tensa Zangetsu.

"_**What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't remember. Ha, you are such a fool. You really don't remember a thing, do you? I guess using the Final Getsuga Tensho made you lose your memory as well.**_"

"The Final...Getsuga..."

"_Ichigo, we do not have time for this. As I told you before, what you see is the form you feared. The form you took when you defeated Ulquiorra Cifer_."

"What?!"

"_Yes, you feared this form wherein your destructive impulses crushed your soul. This is what you've been dreading for reasons you are unsure of_."

"So, it really was you all this time?"

"_**Wow, and you figured all that out by yourself**_?" Hollow Ichigo retorts

"Shut up! And you, you can't be the old man...Zangetsu?"

"_No, I am your bankai_."

"Tensa Zangetsu?!"

"_Yes_"

"_**Oh, for crying out loud! We're about to get our asses handed to us and you're asking stupid questions**_?!"

"_He is right, Ichigo. We must focus on the threat at hand. We can discuss this at a later time_."

"_**If there is a 'later'**_."

Looking down at his menacing opponent, Ichigo decides to deal with the Fallen Angel first and get the rest of his answers later. He quickly raises his reiatsu as do the other two in his company. Azazel is hardly amused.

"**You three are living in a fantasy world if you think you can beat me. Come one at a time or all at once, it doesn't matter.**"

"_**Cocky son of a bitch, isn't he**_."

"**Well, I guess Ichigo is gonna fight me and die first?**"

"_Wrong. You are going to fight all three of us...as one_."

"**Yeah, sure. Whatever floats your boat.**"

Ichigo, Tensa Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo suddenly begins to atomize while Azazel looks on in bewilderment. Their essence quickly unites and starts to form a being which is an amalgam of the three. This form takes on Ichigo's face with part of Hollow Ichigo's mask and left eye as well as Tensa Zangetsu's hair and lower clothing. The reiatsu he gives off takes Azazel aback, sensing that this new form has powers that nearly rivals his own.

"**Impressive. You three have combined your strength and powers to actually be a challenge for me. A triumvirate. However, your weapon is the weak link. Do you truly believe a sword made from one's own soul is a match for a sword forged in Heaven?**"

"_**We shall see, Azazel**_."

In an instant, "Ichigo Prime" attacks Azazel with ferocious abandonment, sending the demon crashing into the side of a demolished building. Continuing the attack, Ichigo sends out a gigantic Getsuga Tensho which crushes both Azazel and everything behind him. Leaning slightly forward, he charges a powerful Cero from the tips of his horns until the crimson ball of energy is nearly three times the size of himself. As the Cero is released, the enormous beam of energy creates a shockwave that lays waste to all things in its path. The impact is devastating, equivalent to a high-yield nuclear explosion. Everything in the area is vaporized, except for the one that initiated the attack.

"_**Is that it, is it over?**_"

Several seconds pass before Ichigo Prime receives an answer. Through the smoke and fire, Azazel laughs hysterically. Visibly surprised, Ichigo immediately goes to a defensive posture, unsure of what to expect.

"**Hahaha. Hardly.**"

"_**What?! Impossible...**_"

"**That was an impressive display of power. If I had only your Zanpakuto, I surely would have been defeated. I gotta say, that one hurt like hell, but as I told you before, what separates us is our weapons.**"

Through the dense heat, fire and smoke, a figure emerges. Spinning his flaming sword to form a protective barrier, Azazel walks slowly towards Ichigo. He is not completely unscathed, however. His left horn is broken in half and the left side of his body is completely charred. He swiftly goes on the offensive, attacking Ichigo with pure brute strength which catches the young man off guard.

Continuously blocking Azazel's attacks begins to wear down Ichigo's zanpakuto to the point of nearly cracking in two. He tries to counter attack with a horizontal swing to his opponent's head, but Azazel blocks it with his already injured left hand, causing him to growl in extreme pain. Tightly grasping the end of Ichigo's zanpakuto, Azazel swings his sword down with so much force that it completely breaks Zangetsu in half.

"_**Dammit!**_"

"**See. What did I tell you, boy.**"

Grabbing Ichigo by his face, Azazel tosses him high up into the air then raises his sword above his head. Fire and evil energy crackles around the blade as he swings it downward, vertically. A colossal wave of intense hell fire shoots forth towards the helpless youth and explodes, creating a mammoth fireball which brightly lights up the dark sky.

"**HAHAHAHAHA! It's over silly boy. In the end, you were no match for me**."

As the fire and smoke dissipates, the sky is unexpectedly illuminated with an intense, brilliant light. Shielding his eyes, Azazel looks away, unsure about what is transpiring in the sky above him. In the center of the radiant glow stands the silhouette of a person. From the shape, it would seem to be that of Ichigo Prime. However, a pair of large, extended bird-like wings, slightly above his shoulders, creates a figure of an Angel.

"**Who the hell are you!**" Azazel roars out angrily

The silhouette slowly separates, revealing the form of two different people, as the light slowly fades away

"_It has been a long time, Azazel._"

"**Raphael! So, you have been helping them! That's how they survived earlier?!**"

"_Indeed. Did you really think we would not notice your escape and how you have been using this boy?_"

"**I don't care. You don't have the power to stop me. You may have defeated me in battle before, but I surpassed my previous level by one hundred fold.**"

"_This is true. I can not fight you at your current level, but I do not have to. The boy can more than manage...with the use of my sword._"

"**A Sword of Heaven?! You...**"

His sentence is abruptly interrupted by Ichigo's sudden assault. Blocking his attacks, Azazel is quickly put on the defensive, being pushed back by his enemy's relentless onslaught. Unable to counter, he shunpos a great distance away, trying to give himself more breathing room. Raising his sword above his head, he tries to bombard Ichigo with several Hell Fire attacks. To his dismay, Ichigo is able to easily deflect each one, with the help of Raphael's sword. In an instant, Ichigo closes the distance between the two, clashing swords with Azazel. Fire and sparks of energy shoot forth during the combatants intense melee with Ichigo quickly gaining the upper hand.

"_**As you said earlier, it is our weapons that will ultimately decide the outcome of this battle. As it is now, you will lose. This will be over in an instant.**_"

"**Shut up, boy. You can never beat me! I am Azazel. I will never lose to the likes of a mere mortal! I will...**"

"_**Please be quiet now.**_" Ichigo says in a low, calm voice, "_**It's time to end this.**_"

"**Go to hell!**"

To his horror, Azazel is shocked as Ichigo disarms him by cutting off his hand from his wrist. He screams in agony as his sword falls to the ground. Ichigo raises the sword in his hand up in the air, as to perform a killing stroke.

"**Unbelievable...to be beaten...by a mortal and a...mere child at that...**"

With a final act of defiance, Azazel opens his mouth and begins charging a Cero, but Ichigo stabs him in the chest, preventing his would-be attack.

"_**I'm taking my powers back now, Azazel.**_"

"**NEVER!**" growls Azazel

"_**Too late. It's already happening.**_"

Ichigo can feel his stolen powers siphoning back to him through the help of Raphael's sword until none remain within Azazel. Defiant until the end, he grabs Ichigo's arm, trying to return that which he had previously taken. Raphael immediately appears and separates the two from further conflict, fully restraining Azazel.

"_**I guess I no longer need this sword.**_" Ichigo states while giving the sword back to Raphael, "_**Thank you**__._"

The Archangel responds, "_No, Ichigo. It is I that must thank you. I would not have been able to capture Azazel without your help._"

"_**Well, no thanks are necessary. I am just glad that this is finally over...but my Zanpakuto...**_"

"_You needn't concern yourself. I managed to repair your sword._"

"_**Really, how?!**_"

"_As I have said, you needn't concern yourself._"

"_**And what will happen to Azazel?**_"

"_I will bind and chain him once again onto the rocks at Duduael, where he will wait in the darkness until Judgement Day._"

"**Mark my words Ichigo, when I do escape again, I will drag you down to Hell with me. You're going to pay for what you've done!**"

"_Do not worry, young one. Azazel will not escape again._"

"_**I hope not. I absolutely do not want to visit Hell, ever. I don't have any reason to go there.**_"

"_Farewell, Ichigo._"

"_**Goodbye.**_" Ichigo responds with a hint of gratitude

In the blink of an eye, the Angel and Demon vanish and Ichigo is left alone in his devastated inner world. The trio promptly separate themselves from one another, relieved that this whole situation is finally over. Slowly, the flames and smoke begin to vanish, the blue sky returns and the buildings start to re-form.

"_Ichigo...this place, your inner world is returning back to normal._"

"So now that it's all over, what happened? Why can't I remember anything?"

"_To defeat Aizen, you used a technique called the Final Getsuga Tensho. In effect, you became Getsuga. However, by using this technique, you will now lose all of your Shinigami powers...slowly, but eventually. I believe using it also caused a temporary memory loss._"

"That's how I beat Aizen? Now, I'm going to lose all my powers? How long do I have?"

"_That, I do not know, but you must escape the world outside soon before that happens or you will be stuck in this realm of yoma and awakened beings for the rest of your life._"

"_**Not sure if that's really a bad thing. I mean, Miria is hot, right? She has a really nice butt, doesn't she?**_" Hollow Ichigo responds sarcastically

"...Miria. What is happening out there? Is she alright?!"

**End of Chapter 19. Coming very soon: Chapter 20**


	20. Chapter 20: All Good Things

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Well, here's another chapter that I promised would be finished soon._ _I know it's a bit short, but I wanted to get this out ASAP. Three__ more chapters left and this story will finally be completed after nearly four years. The Finale will actually make sense as to why all of this is happening...or at least, I hope it will. I sincerely apologize to make everyone wait so long, who has been very patient and a loyal fan/follower of this story. One person asked if Ichigo and Miria will ever get back together after this story ends. I would have to say that it could be a possibility, but it will not be me writing that story, I'm sorry. As I stated before, I just don't feel that my writing skills are good enough to even think about writing another one again, but i hate to leave things unfinished...you never know. __I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews, advice, support and patience, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this next chapter of The Yoma Hollowfications. Take care!_

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 20: All Good Things**

A small town in the Western lands

The battle between the hollowifed awakened and the former Espada continues to rage on, surprisingly with neither one taking advantage over the other. Grimmjow remains unimpressed with his hollowfied foe. It would seem the Espada is not taking things as seriously as he should, wanting to extend the fight for as long as possible for either the sure thrill of battle or for his nemesis, Ichigo to wake up.

"**What's the matter Hollow? I thought you said I was trash. Where's all of your bravado now?**"

"_**You aren't at a level where I want this battle to take place. It wouldn't be any fun if I killed your sorry ass too soon. You definitely are a far cry from Ichigo. Maybe I made a mistake using my **__**Resurrección**__** so early.**_"

"**How dare you put me in the same class as that little shit! I'll kill you!**"

"_**Blah, blah, blah. I never said you were in the same class as him. I said you were weaker, stupid!**_"

"**FUCK YOU!**"

Increasing his yoki to unimaginable levels, Reinhart begins releasing his Yoma powers, growing extremely large in shape and size. The form he takes is that of a dragon with bony spikes protruding everywhere around his body. Every claw on each of his eight legs are razor sharp and about the size of a horse. His hollow mask has changed in size and form as well. He roars, creating a shockwave that levels the surrounding vicinity. Trees, building and even the corpses of the dead villagers are blown outward in every direction.

To say Grimmjow is ecstatic would be an under statement. He lets out a scream of his own, generating a sonic shockwave as well, sending debris, rubble and dead bodies hurtling at the Awakened one.

"_**HAHAHAHA,**_ _**YEAH! Now, that's what I'm talking about. Bring it on, you ugly mother fucker!**_"

Watching from a good distance away, Miria is somewhat bothered about the situation as she stares at the two combatants preparing to engage in an all out war. Her concerns are over Ichigo, who's seemingly lifeless body will be caught in the middle of the upcoming battle.

"Damn it, I need to get Ichigo out of there. He isn't moving at all, but I can still feel the energy emanating from his body, which means he's still alive for now. If he's caught in the middle of Reinhart and that stranger's conflict, he will surely be killed. What can I do?"

Reinhart promptly discharges a barrage of spikes at his adversary, but he is able to easily avoid them using sonido. Grimmjow charges in, closing the distance to his foe in a heart beat. His attacks are relentless, slashing and kicking Reinhart without hesitation. Although his strikes connect with great impact, forcing the Hollowfied warrior backwards with each hit, they barely injure him due to his protective, scaly hide. Reinhart turns and whips his tail, slamming Grimmjow hard into the ground. Moving rapidly away, he decides to change tactics.

"_**You're tougher now than before. Here, eat this...**_"

Crackling energy builds up in the right palm of Grimmjow's hand.

"_**GRAN REY CERO!**_"

A tremendous wave of blue enegry rushes toward Reinhart at speeds so fast, he doesn't have time to react. Upon impact, he is propelled hundreds of meters through the ravaged town, crashing directly in the center of the village. In a flash, Grimmjow immediately follows his fallen enemy, providing Miria the opportunity to rescue the young man she has uncharacteristically grown strongly attached to. She swiftly moves toward Ichigo, but is stopped short due to the appearance of another former warrior of the Organization.

"Who would have guessed that the infamous 'Phantom Miria' would be risking her life for some stranger she barely knows. Tell me, is your life really worth sacrificing just to save this brat? That's not what I expected from you, of all people."

"You know nothing about me, Lovino." Miria answers back with hostility, "Now, move aside before I make you move."

"Do you really think you can?" retorts Lovino, "Come show me."

Wasting no time, Miria attacks him with great tenacity and purpose. Slashing multiple times at different angles and locations causes confusion and slight fear to develop within Lovino. His only reaction is to fire multiple Ceros in all directions, hoping that one will eventually land a hit. Although it does not, Miria does temporarily move away to avoid the volley of energy, giving him enough time to recover from her assault.

"I thought about going easy on you, but I guess that was a mistake," Lovino grumbles while unsheathing his broadsword, "You've forced me to go all out now."

Placing his left hand above his forehead, Lovino commences to materialize his Hollow mask. Bringing it down over his face, his dark yoki/reiatsu spikes and resonates outward, yet Miria stands her ground, unfazed.

"That mask may give you powers and abilities similar to Ichigo, but you have neither the experience nor knowledge to use them properly."

"**You think so, huh? Come here and find out, wench.**"

Without another word, Miria initiates her assault, creating mirage after-images in her wake. Furiously clashing their swords creates a multitude of sparks with each impact. While it's true that Lovino does not have the experience to utilize his Hollowfication effectively, his mask gives him the ability to follow Miria's movements with ease. Even with the realization that her strikes are practically ineffective, Miria continues the offensive without wavering, waiting for an opening to deal a decisive blow.

More annoyed than angered, Lovino extends his left arm, creating a giant blade-like weapon. Miria performs a low thrust, aiming for her foe's midsection. He parries with his broad sword and counters with a diagonal swing of his left arm, slicing through the body of the female warrior...or so it would seem. Suddenly, the lower half of his mask along with his bottom jaw, falls to the ground as Miria's attack connects cleanly. Unable to say another word due to the fact that his tongue is now missing, he howls in agony.

"**ARGH!**"

"If it wasn't for that mask, I would have taken your head clean off. But now I realize your mask can be broken quite easily. If I were to remove it completely, you would no longer be much of a threat."

"**RARGHHH!**"

Without skipping a beat, Miria continues her assault against the injured, masked warrior. Her attacks are calculated and deliberate, taking off larger chunks of flesh with each stroke of her sword. Lovino's movements have become slower and his concentration broken since losing the lower half of his face. Anger and frustration continues to build with each passing second and each injury he receives. If Miria wasn't so preoccupied with defeating her opponent as fast as possible in order to help her companion, she would have sensed even the slightest change in Lovino's reiatsu. Her next swing cuts diagonally through the upper right quadrant of his mask, piercing his right eye. That last attack drives Lovino into a frenzied, berserker state and his reiatsu explodes like a volcano.

"**HARGHRH!**"

Moving at speeds greater than her own, Lovina charges towards Miria furiously. His swings are overpowering even as she blocks each strike. Eventually, he finds an opening and stabs her in the mid section, causing her to drop to one knee. With another swing, he chops off her sword hand. Thinking he is victorious, Lovino raises his sword and prepares to deliver the final killing blow. Before he can do so however, Miria grabs her broad sword with her left hand and instantaneously drives it completely through Lovino's skull with an upward thrust. The remains of his mask shatters into tiny fragments as Miria pulls her sword out from the dead warrior's head. They both fall onto the ground in a bloody heap.

Exhausted, Miria crawls to a collapsed tree which fell during their hard-fought battle. She locates her severed hand and begins to reattach it by concentrating her yoki. Although the effort is strenuous and a somewhat long process, she finally manages to almost completely mend all of her wounds. Getting up slowly with the use of her claymore, she senses that the battle between Reinhart and the stranger is still raging on. Deciding where her current priority lies, she walks over to the comatose Ichigo and kneels down to examine him. She scans the length of his body for any type of mortal injury he might have sustained earlier, but finds nothing.

"What happened to you, Ichigo?" she says aloud, "I know you aren't dead, but why won't you wake up? What should I do?"

With tact and care, Miria shakes him mildly, hoping somehow he would awaken from his catatonic state. It's a futile effort however, so she decides to carry him to find a safer location. With little effort, she lifts Ichigo from the ground and places him over her left shoulder and travels in the opposite direction, away from the sound of battle. After some time, she locates a structure which could possibly provide the temporary refuge she requires, one of the only few places in the town which remains unmolested by all the chaos and calamity. The building itself is surprisingly well kept, but deserted. Taking Ichigo into one of the back rooms, she places him gently on a bed located in the far corner. She stands over him, gazing for several minutes, contemplating on her next course of action should the boy not revive from his coma-like state. She finally decides she should mercifully end the young man's life, right here, right now. If she isn't able to stop Xeger from his plans, he would surely take Ichigo's body and perform unending experiments on him. That's something she can not allow. Pulling her sword slowly from its sheath, she raises it high into the air.

"Ichigo," she says with a heavy heart, "please forgive me."

In one swift motion, she swings the heavy claymore downward, but stops just shy of his neck.

"I...I...can't do it...," Miria utters to no one in particular, "This...is wrong."

She drops her sword which lands on the floor with a loud clang. What just happened? Why couldn't she go through with her decision? She is confused as to why she has these strong emotions for him. Something she has never felt for any man, especially one as young as him. Is this what...love feels like, she thinks to herself. No, that's impossible. She can never feel something as silly as that. So what could it be then? For no known reason, she reaches out with her right hand and gently touches his. In the pit of her stomach, she develops a strange sensation, something else she has never felt before. She immediately questions why this young man is able to affect her the way he does. She oddly feels like she does not want to ever leave his side. If it were to ever happen, if he ever left her, would her world crumble? With all her strength and will power, she tries to deny, to fight off these feelings. For all the good that does her, it only lasts for about a minute. Without even thinking, she brings her face closer to his and touches his lips with her own. Though she has been trying to deny it, she has been wanting desperately to do this again. In the life she has known, nothing else has ever made her happier than this.

Not much remains of the war-torn village but demolished buildings and broken down houses. The streets are splattered with human blood and body parts. Although a good number of the villagers were killed, the children and some of the mothers managed to escape before the carnage started. A few still remain hidden in their homes, afraid to step outside due to the deadly confrontation happening just beyond their barricaded front doors. If they only knew that their walls can not offer them the protection they seek, they would have left with the children hours ago. Instead, all of their hopes rest on the false sense of security that as long as they remain concealed indoors, they should be safe from harm. Reality however, is a cruel, cold, unforgiving bitch. On the outskirts, just beyond the forest, something ominous rapidly draws near. At first it would seem to be only a single entity however, as moments pass more and more approaches. With each passing second, its numbers double. Thousands of these creatures begin to descend upon the vulnerable town.

At that moment Ichigo suddenly awakens to find Miria kissing him. With eyes wide open, he grabs her shoulders and pulls away from her, keeping her at arm's length.

"Miria, what's going on?!" his voice cracking slightly due to embarrassment, "is everything okay?"

"Ichigo, you're awake" She responds in a low voice while staring down at her hands, "I thought you would never...I almost...was thinking about...but I...I couldn't do it...I'm sorry..."

"Hey, it's alright. There's no need to apologize for anything. Whatever it is, it's ok"

Regaining her composure, Miria looks back at him. "What happened to you? Why were you unconscious?"

"I was battling a powerful demon...in my head. Actually, he was some kind of fallen angel or something. We were able to finally beat him with the help of another Angel."

"Angels, fallen angels, demons?"

"Yeah, hard to believe, huh? Well, I'm not sure if you knew, but I think he took over my body for awhile when he trapped me in my inner world. I don't know what he did while I was stuck there, but I know it wasn't good."

"I had a...suspicion that you weren't yourself at the time."

"Why, what happened? Did he hurt you?!"

"Not necessarily."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ichigo questioned, furrowing his brow, "Just tell me what happened between you two."

"Ichigo..."

"Tell me!"

"We...got intimate..."

"What do you mean intimate? What exactly did he do?!"

Before she can respond, they sense the arrival of someone with an enormous amount of reiatsu and yoki. They both turn to face the door and find Xeger standing before the doorway.

"Well, this is something I never expected to see with my own eyes. A former warrior of the Organization succumbing to the pleasures of the flesh. I only suspected at first, but to actually witness it, is another story."

"Xeger! Why are you here?!"

"You crave for it, do you not Miria? Crave for him to touch you again, to caress your body." Xeger asked with amusement , "Tell me, does he make your body tremble when he touches you?"

"Be quiet!" She yelled back

"What's he talking about, Miria?"

"Oh my, you really do not know, boy?" inquired Xeger, "Did this...demon really do things without your consent? I couldn't imagine not remembering about having sexual intercourse with a woman."

"What are you talking about?!" Ichigo screamed

"Honestly, it's not my place to say anything. I guess you'll have to live with the fact that you will probably never know."

"Do not listen to him, Ichigo." Miria says in calm, quiet manner, "He is just trying to provoke you."

"On the contrary, he will never know because I am going to kill him first."

"What exactly are you planning?"

"Well my dear, my plans have changed and are nearing its fruition. Just a few more things to take care of and it will all be complete"

"You will never get your hands on Ichigo. I will stop you."

"Ichigo? I no longer need that boy. I want to eliminate him because he poses a significant threat to my plans and I can not allow that. I need nothing from him because I got all I required from something who called himself an Arrancar."

Clearly showing anger and frustration, Ichigo shouts at the top of his lungs, "Arrancar? What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Seeing as how I plan on killing you anyway, I'll try to explain. While searching the valley where you first appeared, I came across an...individual. He said he was part of an upper class of Hollows called Arrancars. I don't recall his name because I killed him before he could finish his sentence. Anyway, I performed experiments with his remains...on myself. It was quite a success. Which by the way, I quite understand your powers now, young man. Before I end your life, I will show you what I have accomplished."

"What is your end game, Xeger?" Questioned Miria, "What are you trying to accomplish?"

"Hehe, I shall tell you my intentions. I am very tired of this reality. There is nothing here for me any longer. What I am going to do is enter that boy's world, conquer it then become ruler of the entire planet."

"I don't think so, Xeger! We'll stop you. I won't let you harm anyone I care about."

"Ichigo is correct." Miria says while unsheathing her broad sword, "We are going to stop you."

"My offer still stands. Become my Queen, Miria. We shall rule Ichigo's world together with an iron fist."

She replies, "As I told you before, I do not think so. It will never happen, Xeger."

"My, my...and all this time I thought it was such a generous offer." Xeger states with a little disappointment in his voice, "I guess that means I will have to kill you as well. Such a waste."

"You aren't going to do anything to her. I will defeat you!" Ichigo declared

"I was hoping you would say that. I need to test my new strength before I enter your world. Come, I will show you the difference in our powers. As the saying goes, All good things must come to an end. Farewell my dear Miria."

Xeger unsheaths his sword and brings it forward. While holding it upside down, he says only two words.

"Petrify...GORGON"

**End of Chapter 20**


	21. Chapter 21: Five to Midnight, Part 1

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Alright, another chapter down, two more to go, as promised. I apologize if Grimmjow's fight scenes were a bit short. I really couldn't imagine how his fights would go. I was thinking I should have chosen another Espada, but Grimmjow is pretty much Ichigo's only nemesis from Hueco Mundo...that's still alive, anyhow. __I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews, advice, support and patience, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this next chapter of The Yoma Hollowfications. Take care!_

* * *

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 21: Five to Midnight, Part 1**

_********__"The Beast was loosed into the arena  
And among them,  
A beast of huge bulk and ferocious aspect  
Then the slave was cast in"_  
_- Aesop  
_

* * *

___A small town in the Western Lands_

While Ichigo and Miria face off against Xeger in his new _Resurrección_ form, the violent battle between the two other combatants continues in the center of town.

Though Reinhart's hide is thick and nearly impenetrable, Grimmjow manages to break through by slashing the same location on his large, scaly body several dozen times. As he tries to follow up with another strike, Reinhart catches him off guard, swatting the former Espada with one of his immense, clawed feet. Grimmjow is thrown with a substantial amount of force through three large stone walls, sustaining a large gash across his chest which causes an excessive amount of blood to spew forth. Using his enormous wings, Reinhart takes flight, creating massive amounts of wind gusts. Dust, rocks and debris hurtle towards his enemy at speeds near one hundred miles an hour. Grimmjow counters with a Cero, driving everything back in the opposite direction.

"**Did that little love tap actually hurt you?**"

_"____Ha. 'Fraid not. Actually, it kinda tickled.____"_

_"__**Big talk for a little ant. How about if I crush you now?**____" _

_"__You talk too much, it's really annoying. Why don't you shut the fuck up and die already?!"_

_"__**I'd say I have the advantage here. You're down there where you can't even reach me.**__"_

_Opening his mouth as wide as possible, Reinhart shoots out an enormous stream of fire from his gaping orifice and burns nearly everything down below to a crisp. He continues to bombard the town with a rain of fire, as smoke and ash fill the air, making visibility near zero. He roars triumphantly, believing that there is no way anyone could have survived that assault. Using his wings to blow away the smoke and flames, he quickly searches the area for his foe's dead, burnt remains. To his surprise however, there isn't one._

_"__**IMPOSSIBLE! Nothing could have survived that! Where the hell did he go?!**__"_

_"____Right here!__"_

_Appearing suddenly just above Reinhart's head, Grimmjow slashes downward, destroying a large section of his mask and causing him to crash back down to Earth. The remaining part of his mask begins to crack. Reinhart gazes up to find his opponent floating in mid-air._

_"__**How the hell are you flying?! There is no way that's possible. You don't even have wings!**__"_

_"____Who the fuck needs wings? Even in this world, there are spirit particles floating around everywhere. I just use those to walk, stand, run or fly. What, you can't do that? Loser.__"_

_"__**Stop mocking me!**__" Reinhart shrieked while standing up on all eight legs, "__**I will show you what we former single-digit warriors are capable of!**__"_

_"____Yeah, yeah. You're starting to bore me already__." Hollered Grimmjow while bending his arm, "Here, try some of this...Garra de la Pantera!"_

_Five dark, green, crystalline shaped darts shoots out from Grimmjow's elbow at high speed. Reinhart tries to avoid the attack, but due to his size, he is unable to. All five of the acutely shaped bombs explode on impact, in the area of his previous injury, to great effect. Four of his eight legs are literally blown away as he drops hard onto his belly. _

_"HA! Did you like that? I've got more for you."_

_"__**I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!**__"_

_"____You keep saying that, but so far...__"_

_"__**SHUT THE HELL UP!**__" Lovino raged as he took flight once again, "__**I'm gonna tear you limb from limb!**__"_

_"____Man, do you ever stop talking?__" Grimmjow mocked_

_Wasting no time, a furious Reinhart fires both a Cero and a stream of intense fire simultaneously, charring Grimmjow's left arm. Circling the dragon/hollow hybrid, he counters with another volley of his green, crystalline bombs, but because his target is more mobile in the air than the ground, only one dart barely makes contact. In response, he launches dozens of bone spikes as well as a wall of flame, causing Grimmjow to change directions. He promptly flies up vertically, hundreds of feet with Reinhart giving chase._

_Stopping in mid-flight, Grimmjow turns to face Reinhart, "____I think we've had enough fun for one day, don't 'cha think? I'm gonna end this now.__" _

_"__**You wish, scum!**__"_

_Grimmjow's claws begin to glow blue, "____Heh, are you ready?__" Making a slashing motion, each claw creates long, sharp blades composed of spirit energy._

_"__**What is that?**__"_

_"____Desgarrón____, it's my strongest technique.__" _Grimmjow responds with a smirk

Reinhart unleashes everything in his arsenal, lighting up the sky with fire, red energy and hundreds of bony spikes. The evil grin on Grimmjow's face becomes wider as the incoming barrage draws closer. He swings both arms downward, hurling his final technique at the enemy. In less time than it takes to blink, both Reinhart's onslaught and ___Desgarrón _collide, creating a tremendous explosion. To his horror, as if in slow motion, Grimmow's attack continues toward him. They say right before you die, your life flashes before your eyes, but the only thing running through Reinhart's mind at the moment is only one word.

"**SHIT!**"

Like a hot knife through butter, all ten blades make contact, easily piercing and ripping through the former number 6 warrior's thick, tough dragon skin. He roars in agony, fractions of a second before he is literally torn apart. From below, it would seem to be raining purple blood until large pieces of the dead former warrior, slam into the blood soaked ground.

"_Hahahaha. What'd I tell ya, mother fucker?!" Grimmjow roared triumphantly. _

From his vantage point high in the air, he can see everything within a fifteen mile radius. "_...What the hell's this?!_"

There isn't much that can really surprise the former sexta Espada, but what he witnesses now even shocks him, almost to a point of worry and concern. Hundreds, if not thousands of Yoma decsend upon the town, from every direction. He then senses Ichigo's reiatsu, as well as Miria's and one other, someone who's power is probably close to that of the Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk.

"So, you're finally awake Ichigo," Speaking out loud as if his nemesis can actually hear him, "'Bout fucking time! Looks like we won't be finishing our fight after all, though. I really shouldn't involve myself with all this shit, but nobody else is going to kill you but me. I guess I have no choice then."

Running different scenarios through his head, he comes to the conclusion that even if the three of them were to team up temporarily, they would clearly be overwhelmed in a matter of minutes plainly due to the enemy's sheer numbers. Then there's also the matter of that other...person they would have to deal with as well. It would seem that whatever he decides, he just might be on the losing end of this war.

"_Eh, what the hell ever. Let's just get on with it!_"

* * *

At that moment far below, in the South Eastern part of the devastated town, Ichigo, Miria and Xeger notices that a very strong reiatsu/yoki has just vanished.

"**Well, it would seem that Reinhart was actually defeated by that other Arrancar.**"

"What other Arrancar are you talking about?!" Questioned Ichigo

"I believe he is referring to the stranger that appeared here just recently and interfered in my fight with Reinhart. He said he was a former number six...Espada, if I remember correctly. He was wearing all white and also has a very unusual hair color. Do you know him?"

"What?! That can't be...Grimmjow?! I thought that reiatsu seemed familiar, but how did he get here?"

"**More than likely, the same way you did. Not surprising really. He was but one of the Hollows that appeared in the valley. Actually, he is the last one to still be alive. If he were to be defeated, I can use his carcass to supplement my own powers as well.**"

Ichigo raises his reiatsu and prepares to attack, "I don't think so Xeger, it's time to put an end to all of this. I can sense how strong you are, so I'm not gonna hold back."

Materializing his Hollow mask, Ichigo quickly slides it over his face, increasing his spiritual pressure and strength by ten fold. His reverberating voice is still as menacing as ever, "_**Let's go!**_"

Miria can feel her Yoki growing in strength as well. Probably due to the events that transpired beforehand, she is somehow absorbing a good portion of Ichigo's immense reiatsu which is supplementing her own yoki. Though she probably would never admit it, she actually enjoys the feeling, it is quite intoxicating. With claymore in hand, she readies herself to fight alongside Ichigo, "You are the last of them Xeger. Once we defeat you, this will be all over."

"**My lovely Miria, you still have not noticed how powerful I've become. Even with your increased mixture of spirit energy and yoki...and the boy donning his mask, it will be a futile effort.**"

"_**Oh, you think so?!**_" At that particular moment, Ichigo senses the spiritual energy of the incoming horde of Yoma invading the area, "_**What the hell is this now?!**_"

"Yes, I sense it too. They seem to be...Hollows. Nearly an immeasurable amount."

"**Ah, I see you've finally noticed them. Did you truly believe that Reinhart, Lovino, Lugar and Galiver were the only ones I performed my experiments on? Although these Yoma are not as strong or powerful as the 'Four Horsemen', they will make a fine army against all my enemies, in this world...and the other.**"

"Why bring them here?" Miria questioned, "We are far away from that valley where Ichigo first appeared. Isn't that where the 'doorway' to his world is?"

"**Do you not remember what I explained to you the last we met? By releasing an enormous amount of energy, I accidently destabilized the atmosphere in that area which caused the doorway to open slightly. Then with each death, human and Yoma, it grew in size. Well, what do you think is happening now at this very location?**"

"What do you mean?"

"**Your battle with Lovino, that stranger's battle with Reinhart, as well as Ichigo's battle from earlier. How much energy do you think was released from all of those battles combined? Nearly all the villagers were killed here, except for the children. Which by the way, are being brought back here as we speak. I need as many deaths as possible to insure that my plans succeed. So, let's begin with your annihilation, foolish creatures.**"

Due to Xeger's Resurrección, his appearance has drastically changed. The hair on top of his head has transformed into dozens of living, venomous snakes. His clothing has changed as well, donning white Hoplite armor and wielding both a Xiphos type sword in his right hand and a circular shield in his left. Ichigo charges in, furiously attacking while using the power of Getsuga within the blade of his zanpakuto to greatly augment his sword strikes. Due to Xeger's shield however, he is able to block every attack from the young man. Miria quickly moves in, creating countless after-images and blitzing Xeger's blindside. Though she connects with her sword and cuts deep, her enemy cuts deeper. She staggers backwards up against the wall, holding the laceration with her left hand while deflecting a downward stroke with her claymore, by Xeger.

"_**Miria!**_" Ichigo yelled while diagonally slashing Xeger's backside and cracking a portion of his armor, "**Move away, now!**"

Ichigo releases a Getsuga Tensho just as Miria flash steps to safety. Though Xeger blocks it with his shield, the force of the blow sends him flying through the wall, creating a gaping hole and causing nearly half of the room to collapse.

"**Miria, are you okay?**"

"Yes, I'm fine, but do not worry about me. You need to stay focused."

"**Yeah, you're right.**" he says while turning around to pursue Xeger, "_**Let's go after him.**_"

Stepping outside, they are quickly surrounded by several dozen Yoma all donning...Hollow masks.

"_**What the hell? All of these things have, Hollowfication****?**_"

"Yes, it would seem that Xeger was speaking the truth. He has created an army of these masked Yoma. Not only do we have to stop him, we need to destroy all of these monstrosities as well."

The sounds of crying children can be heard in the distance as each Yoma commences to charge a Cero, directing it at the two standing before them.

"_**What the hell?! Those are kids! Shit, we gotta save them. Miria, let's go!**_"

"...but Ichigo, these Yoma are everywhere. How do we..."

"_**Hang on to me.**_"

Ichigo grabs Miria by her waist as she wraps her left arm around his body. Just as all the Yoma fire their Ceros, he solidifies the reishi below his feet and immediately takes flight. The building in which they took refuge earlier, explodes in a cloud of dust and fire.

"Ichigo, how exactly are we...flying?"

"It's hard to explain, but I'll tell you once this whole thing is all over?"

"Alright."

Skimming through the air, several meters above the treetops, they witness with their own eyes just how massive Xeger's "army" is. The entire town, along with the forest around it, is completely besieged by Yoma, numbering in the hundreds.

"How was Xeger able to gather this many Yoma in such a short amount of time? Did he already have them to begin with?"

"_**I don't know Miria, but we need to find those kids fast before they get killed. Do you see them yet?**_"

Pointing towards the north west, Miria confirms, "There, just beyond that tower."

"_**Okay. Let's...**_"

Before he can finish, they are abruptly struck with an orange-colored Cero which sends them crashing to the ground. Though slightly fazed for only a few seconds, they quickly get up and stand back to back, scanning in all directions. They are shocked to discover Xeger hovering in the air before them.

"**I must admit Ichigo, your world undeniably has beings with extraordinary powers. To actually be able to fly like a bird of prey is incredible.**"

"_**How did you learn to...**_"

"**My intellect is what separates me from my peers and comrades, alike. I carefully examined what you did earlier and realized you are using the spirit particles in the atmoshere to perform those amazing feats, like flying. Before I kill you, I shall examine and record every detail of our battle. You certainly have provided me with knowledge I could not have acquired otherwise. Die knowing that you helped bring about the conquest of your world and the destruction of this one.**"

"_**Miria, save those children. I will handle Xeger.**_"

"...but Ichigo."

"_**Miria please...**_"

"Alright, I will take care of it, I promise. Please be careful."

"**You are not going anywhere, my sweet Miria. I shall kill you before you can even reach those children.**"

Ichigo swings Zangetsu above his head as black reiryoku begins to bleed from Ichigo's hands and the blade of his zanpakuto, forming a swirling black mass of concentrated energy.

"_**I don't think so...GETSUGA TENSHO!**_"

A tidal wave of black, red energy rapidly travels toward Xeger, causing the latter to block with his shield. Surprisingly being pushed back by Ichigo's attack, his shield begins to crack and splinter. Ichigo then shunpos behind his antagonist and fires off another Getsuga, hurling Xeger violently into several buildings below.

Looking down at his female companion, "_**Miria, go now!**_"

"On my way." she responds, moving at speeds even greater than she has attempted before.

In only a matter of seconds, she arrives at her destination and targets all the Yoma that are holding the last of the villagers captive. Killing the first few dozen swiftly, she realizes that there are way too many to contend with alone. Although totally outnumbered and knowing Ichigo already has his hands full with Xeger, she concentrates on the Yoma closest to the children. No matter how many she takes down however, two more takes its place in a never ending cycle. One manages to get behind her and fire off a Cero, but she easily dodges, decapitating him in the process.

'_That's it...I believe that might work...',_ she thinks to herself

She positions herself in front of a large group of Yoma while taunting others into attacking. Several of them strike in unison, firing Ceros and slashing with their elongated, clawed limbs at what they believe to be a stationary target. Instead, they accidentally attack their brethren who are standing behind Miria's mirage. This causes complete mayhem within the ranks of the Yoma and they begin assaulting one another. The stratagem pays off, giving Miria the opportunity to rescue the children and the remaining adult villagers.

"Who...who are you?" One of the villagers asked, clearly frightened

"There's no time," Miria responded while pointing towards a range of hills beyond the forest, "Quick, run that way as fast as you can. I'll stay back to guard the rear."

Another villager replied, "...but the children. They..."

"Everyone, pick up and carry as many as you can and start running in that direction." Miria commanded, "I don't know how long these Yoma will remain preoccupied. Move now!"

As they begin to make their escape, a horde of Yoma appears behind them, getting ready to attack and devour the humans. Miria lunges head first toward the growing legion. "RUN! GO NOW!" she screamed. The villagers flee as Miria commences to fight off their assailants. With every swing of her sword, one by one, the Yoma drop like flies. Unfortunately, the harder she fights, the more futile the situation seems to become. For every breath she takes, for every beat of her heart, more and more Yoma appear, almost overwhelming her. Refusing to give up, she stands her ground and continues to fight on with will power alone, even as all seems lost. Miria beheads another Yoma as he begins to charge a Cero, but before his head has time to hit the ground, she promptly grabs and faces it towards the Hollowfied creatures. A large, crimson beam of energy discharges from the face of the decapitated head, striking the enormous swarm dead center. Shrieks and screams echo through the land as bodies are hurled in every direction, but in only a matter of moments, more Yoma come to take the place of their fallen members.

"I...don't know...how...much longer I can...keep...this up," Miria says under heavy breathing, "I gave Ichigo my...word. I...I can not stop now."

Just then, the Yoma are suddenly assaulted from behind, giving Miria a moment to catch her breath. Some are shred to pieces while others are cut in half, still others are torn asunder. Very slowly, the flesh eating monsters diminish in numbers due to the arrival of the mysterious aggressors.

"What's going on?" wondered Miria, "Who is attacking...those yoki...they are..."

"Hi Miria. Did you miss us?" A familiar voice asked

"Helen?!"

"Yep, the one and only!" Helen replied, smiling, "I know you told us to stay behind, but you know how stubborn Clare can be."

"All of you are here?"

"No. Just me, Deneve and Clare. Tabitha, Cynthia and Yuma stayed behind."

"How did you find me?" the fomer number six questioned

"Tabitha. She's getting better at sensing yoki from far away. Without her, we wouldn't have been able to find you in time. Now, what do you say, wanna go and kill all these bastards?"

"Yes, let's get this done."

Helping Miria up from the ground, Helen asks, "Why are those Yoma wearing masks? They seem to be tougher than regular Yoma."

"It's something called Hollowfication. It's makes them stronger, faster and extremely more dangerous. We need to be careful."

"Hollow...what?!"

"I'll explain later. Let's go!"

Without hesitation, the two former warriors join Clare and Deneve, helping to change the outcome of the battle. In only a short order, the advantage swings in their favor. The remaining Yoma retreat, realizing they are on the losing side of this conflict. Unbeknown to the warriors, the escaped villagers are cornered by another group of Yoma appearing along the ridgeline.

* * *

At another part of the town, high up in the air, Ichigo and Xeger remain engaged in fierce combat. Although both suffer wounds and injuries from the others' physical assaults, Ichigo seems to currently have the edge in this skirmish.

"**I must admit that I have really enjoyed our battle**," a reeling Xeger confesses, "**I have learned quite a few things during our exchange,** **but as you have said a few times before...it is time to end this.**"

"_**I'll be the one to finish this, Xeger! GETSUGA...TENSHO!**_"

As Ichigo releases his specialized attack, Xeger unleashes one of his special abilities. He swings his sword horizontally, creating a crescent-shaped wave of orange energy. Both attacks collide, creating a massive explosion, but Xeger's transmutes into a liquid form, showering the area with yellowish-orange ooze. Some land on Ichigo's leg and begins growing in size until his entire leg is covered.

"_**What the hell is this?!**_" Ichigo yelled out furiously

"**You have Getsuga Tensho, I have this,**" answered Xeger, with a sinister smile, "**Glaciate la roca del ámbar**" *

Unexpectedly, the slime covering his leg instantly chills then solidifies, completely encasing Ichigo's appendage in amber rock.

"_**SHIT!**_"

**End of Chapter 21  
**

* Glaciate Rock of Amber


	22. Chapter 22: Five to Midnight, Part 2

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Well, here's another one down, one more to go. I know it's another short chapter, but the next one will be the finale, so it should be the longest out of all the chapters. I've received several more requests to write one more story, a reunion between Ichigo and Miria, so I decided that I might write another one. However, I have already chosen if I do this, it'll be a very short story that is only one or two chapters long. I apologize in advance. Anyway, __I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews, advice, support and patience, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this next installment of The Yoma Hollowfications.  
_

_-__**Hollowfied Tweaker**_

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 22: Five to Midnight, Part 2  
**

**_"Goodness reflects the light,  
And evil bears the seed of all darkness,  
These are mirrors of the soul,  
Reflections of the mind,  
Choose well..."_  
**_**- **Unknown_

* * *

A ravaged and nearly devastated town in the Western Lands

Cleaning the purple blood from the blade of her claymore, Deneve turns to Miria, "I have never encountered this many Yoma at one place before...and those masks...so, what exactly is going on here?"

"Yeah, and your yoki feels different...stronger even." Helen added, "It's changed somehow."

For several seconds, Miria stares at the faces of her three comrades until she finally speaks, "I know I owe each one of you an explanation, but right now, time is not on our side. What I can tell you is we are facing an enemy that is probably a greater threat than what transpired between us and those awakened beings in Pieta. From my knowledge, Xeger, a former researcher from the Organization was performing experiments with several Awakened Beings. Just south of Pieta, during one of these experiments, he accidentally gained access to another...dimension or world, if you will. Creatures and strange beings called Hollows, came through the 'doorway'. If you remember, we witnessed first-hand what these things were capable of."

"Those enormous, masked creatures which shot those red beams of light from their mouths are called Hollows?" questioned Clare

"Yes. Xeger managed to combine the flesh and blood of these Hollows with a small group of Awakened Beings as well as an army of Yoma. Those masks that they wear are part of something called Hollowfication, which greatly increases their strength and powers." Miria elucidated, "Those dangerous, red beams of light you referred to is called a Cero and each one of these Yoma has that ability. However, once their masks are destroyed, they revert back to regular Yoma. The mask is not only one of their strengths, but one of their greatest weaknesses as well. We need to be extremely careful, there are still hundreds, maybe thousands more in the vicinity. Xeger not only experimented on those Awakened Beings and Yoma, he also augmented himself with a higher form of Hollow, called an Arrancar. Now he's possibly more powerful than even an Abyssal One."

Glancing at one another, Deneve finally asked, "Is that even possible? I mean...more powerful than an Abyssal One? What is his goal exactly?"

"His plan is to destroy this world and conquer the other. From what I've seen, it is highly probable that he can accomplish such a task. He is using all of the battles occurring here to destabilize the atmosphere and create another...portal to that universe. Every death that takes place will cause this portal to grow large enough for him and his army to enter. I know I do not have to tell you this, but we must stop him."

"So, what's the plan?" Helen asked, "How do you want to handle this, Miria?"

"Right now Ichigo is fighting Xeger. I am hoping he will be able to..."

"Who's Ichigo?!" the three warriors asked simultaneously

"Yes. He is an ally that I came across. We were...companions for some time." Miria responded, "He is from the other world and calls himself a substitute soul reaper."

"Soul reaper? what is that?" Deneve inquired politely, "I've never heard of it."

"From my knowledge, his kind fights with Hollows, just as we warriors fight with Yoma. However, he also has Hollow powers as well. I am unsure how he acquired such abilities, but none the less, he is definitely on our side. I have somehow absorbed some of his spirit energy which in turn, merged with my own yoki. That is what you are sensing now."

"Are you sure we can trust this...Ichigo?" Clare asked with a bit of skepticism, "How do you even know he can beat Xeger?"

"I...trust him with my life. I have also witnessed him in battle, I am quite certain he will be able to defeat Xeger. Our mission as of now is to destroy this Hollowfied Yoma army which he created."

Just then, they hear the screams of the village children in the distance.

"That's the remaining villagers of this town! It would seem they did not manage to escape from here." Miria said crisply, "Quickly, we must rescue them...I gave Ichigo my assurance that I would not let anything happen to them."

Without another word, Miria immediately heads for the sounds of the crying children, hoping it isn't too late. Though somewhat hesitant at first, Clare, Deneve and Helen quickly follow their leader without question. They swiftly move through the thick forest until finally reaching a clearing near the hillside. Upon arrival, they come across the villagers completely surrounded by Yoma. The elder villagers try desperately to fight off their attackers with sticks and stones, but it is a hopeless cause. They are easily overcome and before long, several of the man-eating monsters pounce on top of them. One woman screams as she smells and feels the horrible breath coming from the salivating jaws of one of the attacking Yoma.

Hastily, the four Claymore Warriors charge in, dispatching every creature within the path of their swords. Body parts and purple blood fill the air as the onslaught continues unabated. Due to the innumerable amount of Yoma, the female warriors are free to attack whomever they please, while the Yoma must be careful not to accidentally strike down one of their own.

One Yoma fires a Cero at Deneve, but Miria flash steps in front of her, barely deflecting it with her claymore. She is thrown back nearly a hundred meters, colliding with dozens of Yoma before coming to a stop. A throng of creatures pile on top of her, threatening to smother her with their sheer weight of mass.

"MIRIA!" Using her extendable drill sword technique, Helen viciously attacks the heaping pile of Yoma until all but one drop on the ground, dead. One of the masked Yoma is able to sneak up on her and charge a Cero while she's still distracted. He plans on blowing her head clean off, but unexpectedly, Clare grabs him by his head, snaps his neck and oscillates his face side to side as it fires the crimson beam in a wide sweeping arc. Nearly two thirds of the legion are decimated in that one single attack and just like that, the battle swings in favor of Miria's group.

"That's it! They're almost finished" Deneve yelled out joyously, "Let's keep at it."

In just a few minutes, the four warriors manage to wipe out the remaining Yoma and save all the villagers with no lost of life.

"Is everyone alright?" Miria asked, nearly exhausted

"Yes, looks like we're all okay."

Before they even have time to take a breath, hundreds of Yoma appear above the ridgeline like a tidal wave crashing down upon them.

Helen hollers, "Oh, for crying out loud! Give me a break. How many of them are there?!"

Miria immediately charges toward the gargantuan swarm with the other three right behind her. Suddenly, a wide, black beam of energy sweeps through the army of Yoma, obliterating a huge number in a mere two seconds.

"What the hell was that?!"

"It...it looked like a black...Cero." Miria replied

Unbeknown to all the individuals involved, including Xeger, a portal begins to manifest itself within the center of town. With an audible sizzle, a small floating hole appears which can only be seen properly from the front or back, disappearing to a tiny sliver of greenish, blue light from the side.

* * *

At another part of town

"_**This is...is...**_", a somewhat distraught Ichigo muttered

"**Yes indeed. Your left leg is completely bound and covered in amber, making it absolutely useless. With my next attack, your entire body will be fossilized. Goodbye young man.**"

"_**How were you able to perform a Resurrección?**_" Ichigo asked angrily, "_**You aren't even a Hollow. How did you even know about it in the first place!?**_"

"**How you ask? It's quite easy...unlike the 'Four Horsemen', who devoured the brains of those non-intelligent Gillians, I devoured the brain of an Arrancar.**"

Shocked by the Xeger's answer, Ichigo yelled, "_**What?!**_"

"**By eating certain parts of an individual's cerebrum, we can acquire such things as knowledge and even some memories of that particular individual. Whatever knowledge he knew, I now know. Whatever abilities he had, I now have. Although, my ****Resurrección is completely different from his due to my own individuality. I am also aware of the different planes of existence in your universe. That of Soul Society, the world of the living and Hueco Mundo. I will conquer Hueco Mundo first then Soul Society and finally, where you reside...Ichigo Kurosaki.**"

Ichigo increases his reiatsu and swings his zanpakuto downward, shattering the amber covering his leg. "_**NEVER!**_" he screamed, "_**I am going to put an end to this now!**_"

"**Impressive. By releasing your reiatsu, you were able to demolish my amber rock. Unfortunately for you, I can greatly increase its density. You will not be able to do that again.**" Xeger swings his sword diagonally several times, sending wave after wave of energized liquid at the young soul reaper.

Ichigo flash steps away from the incoming volley, drawing himself closer to his enemy. A multitude of explosions ensue, showering the area below with thick, orange resin. Nothing that comes into contact from the downpour is safe. Insects, trees, bushes, even the Yoma which serve Xeger are immediately fossilized. Before Xeger has a chance to launch another attack, Ichigo appears on his backside and strikes with his Getsuga enhanced blade. His target parries with his xiphos and counterattacks with his shield, slicing off the lower half of Ichigo's mask.

"**That's the problem with those masks, isn't it? They are so fragile and once it breaks, you are nothing more than a lowly soul reaper.**"

Ichigo flash steps away, bringing his left hand over the missing piece of his mask, "_**You wish, bastard. Don't underestimate me!**_" With a quick swipe, the mask regenerates and he quickly continues his assault. The sound of thunder bellows as they clash swords over and over. Xeger blocks one attack with his shield, but the force of Ichigo's blow shatters it, lopping off a portion of his left arm in the process. Xeger grunts as he sonidos backward, away from his attacker.

"**...I see...you are using your Getsuga Tensho to increase your sword's attack power...by wrapping the energy around your blade instead of firing it...I must...give you my gratitude for showing me something new...**"

With renewed vigor, Xeger attacks Ichigo using the same type of technique as his opponent. The blade of his sword glows yellowish-orange with auburn colored energy bleeding from the entire length. As they clash again, sparks fly with a huge eruption of black and orange energy filling the sky. The fierce battle continues for several minutes with no quarter asked and none given. At times, one would seem to have the advantage over the other, but just as quickly, the tables would turn and both combatants end up receiving serious injuries. Ichigo makes a grievous mistake by trying to block Xeger's strike bare-handed.

"**Bad move, young man. Now I've got you!**"

"_**What?!**_"

Xeger releases the built up energy within the blade of his xiphos, instantly engulfing his enemy in an enormous blast. Seconds later, a large chunk of hardened amber falls from the air, crashing down into the ground below. Within it, Ichigo is frozen, seemingly lifeless like an ancient mosquito trapped in fossilized tree sap. His reiatsu begins to diminish until no trace of it can be found. Feeling as though he has finally achieved victory, Xeger howls with laughter over the apparent death of the young Soul Reaper. However, he is not the only one to witness Ichigo's fate.

"GRAN REY...CERO!"

A colossal, blue wave of energy collides into the former Organization scientist-turned-Awakened Being/Arrancar, hurtling him violently through a grove of tall trees, finally coming to an abrupt halt two hundred meters later. He slowly stands up, brushing off the bark and large splinters from his body. Xeger eagerly takes flight to confront the person who dared assault him.

"**Well, this is quite a shock**" Xeger says with sincere surprise, "**Now why would an Arrancar, especially one of the ranked Espada, try to avenge a fallen Soul Reaper? It's quite curious indeed.**"

"I don't give a shit about avenging him" an angered Grimmjow responded, "I'm pissed off 'cuz you killed the son of a bitch before I was able to get a rematch with him."

"**Seeing as how we are practically on the same side, why don't you join me?**"

"No thanks. I did that once before and it didn't turn out so good. I think this time...for now anyways, I'm gonna help the 'good guys'."

"**And why would you do something like that?**"

"Frankly, I don't like you and I need to take my revenge out on somebody, right?"

"**How exactly are you going to accomplish this amazing feat? You aren't even in your released state any longer.**"

"Ha! I don't need my Resurrección to kick your ass."

"**Oh really? Prove it then.**"

"Alright, let's go!"

* * *

Elsewhere, at the same moment

The battle with the final remaining Yoma draws closer to its end. Although none of the warriors will leave the battle field unscathed, they are elated to know that it will finally be over. The entire landscape is drenched with purple blood and tons of quivering, dismembered Yoma body parts. Exhaustion and weariness sets in as all four of them nearly collapse on the ground with only their claymores holding them up.

"So, the person who assisted us earlier, who was he Miria?" Deneve asked

"I believe his name is Grimmjow. He is another being from Ichigo's world. It would seem that he is also an ally."

"Well, whoever he is, I'm glad he showed up when he did. Those Yoma would have easily overwhelmed us in a matter of minutes."

Miria finally notices that she can no longer feel Ichigo's reiatsu, only Xeger and Grimmjow's.

"Ichigo...something has happened to him." Miria says, clearly concerned, "I can not sense him anymore. I must go to him."

"But Miria...you need to..."

"I apologize to everyone, but my current priority is Ichigo."

"What about the villagers?"

"Please take them out of this area and to a safe location. I shall meet with you all once the threat of Xeger has been dealt with."

Without another word, Miria flash steps away, headed straight for Ichigo's last known location as Clare, Deneve and Helen gather up the villagers and head North east. In only a matter of moments, Miria reaches her destination and to her horror, finds Ichigo completely encased in amber while Grimmjow is engaged in a losing effort against Xeger.

"ICHIGO...NO!" She screamed while taking several swings at the amber block with her broad sword.

Unfortunately, her efforts are all but hopeless against the dense amber, only able to slowly chip away from it. She places her hand against the ice cold stone, hoping to sense even the slightest spirit pressure from him.

Meanwhile, Grimmjow continues fighting even as the multiple wounds he's sustained, wounds that would have killed a normal human, slowly drain the life from his body. He will never give up especially against some faux Arrancar. Xeger grabs him by the collar and throws him savagely into the remains of a building down below. Grimmjow lands hard, propelling debris and dust high into the air.

"**Why don't you just give up now? It really will be a waste to kill you. Why not just help me destroy this world and conquer yours?**"

"Why don't you go to hell! I'll fucking kill you for looking down on me!"

"**Tsk, tsk. I do not know why I always propose these generous offers, only to be eventually turned down by the likes of you people. However, I can learn from my mistakes and just kill you all. I must say though, it was a truly heroic effort Grimmjow, but you chose the wrong side. It is now over. Farewell.**"

Before he launches his special attack, Xeger catches sight of Miria trying desperately to free Ichigo from the block of amber.

"Ichigo...please don't die. I need you...I need your help...please..." Miria pleads as if he can actually hear her

"**It's no use Miria. You can not save the boy, he is already dead. You can not save him from his fate. After I am finished with this Espada, you are next.**"

"Ichigo...please..."

Within the fossil resin, Ichigo's reiatsu begins to build up, causing the amber to crack and fracture until it shatters completely. The swirling mass of black energy and blinding red light compels Miria to look away quickly as she shields herself from the explosion, using her claymore

"**That's...impossible!**" Xeger states, somewhat aghast, "**What is happening?!**"

To their surprise, standing before them is not the Ichigo they are familiar with, but the form he took when he defeated Ulquiorra in Hueco Mundo. This is Hollowfied Ichigo*.

"**How did you break free? I see you have transformed into some kind of Hollow, complete with a Hollow hole in your chest. Is this your version of a Resurrección or something entirely different?**"

He says nothing, but produces a roar so powerful that it causes the ground to quake accompanied by cyclonic force winds. Miria looks at him and questions if this is the Ichigo that she knows or another entity that has taken over his body.

"Ichigo...are you really him...or someone else, like before?"

"_**I...will...I...will...I will...I will help.**_"

**End of Chapter 22**

* This is the name of the character given from the video game, Bleach: Soul Resurrección


	23. Chapter 23: The Final Farewell

_Disclaimer:_ The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All _**Bleach**_ characters and related material are owned by creator, **Tite Kubo**. Likewise, _**Claymore**_ characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, **Norihiro Yagi. **Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

_Author's Notes:__ Well, this is it, the Finale. I really enjoyed the ride...for the most part. You guys have been great. I'm happy that it's finally over though. There have been many times I wanted to give up on this story, but some of you were able to give me the motivation to keep going. I thank you very much for that. I'm still trying to decide if I'll write another Bleach/Claymore crossover, but you never know. I still have another project that I need to finish, so that has to come first. Anyway, __I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews, advice, support and patience, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the Final Chapter of The Yoma Hollowfications. Everyone, take care always!_

_-__Hollowfied Tweaker_

_**Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications**_

**Chapter 23: The Final Farewell**

******_"The wolf has come down from the North,  
And your fat, little town,  
Is safe no longer"_**_**  
**__**- **Dr. __Charles Henry Moffet_

* * *

The remnants of a small town in the Western Lands

'What is this new form which this boy has taken?' Xeger thinks to himself, 'His mask is significantly different, forming the full circumference of his head along with two large horns. The large hole in the center of his chest is definitely a sign that he has become a Hollow. I barely sense anything even remotely resembling his Soul Reaper's reiatsu. This has got to be some form of a Resurrección or something simillar. No matter...I shall crush him in front of Miria and show her how powerful I have become.'

With his signature grin, Grimmjow turns his head to face Xeger and mockingly states, "Hahaha. You're in for it now. That's the same bastard that beat the shit outta Ulqiuorra. I think maybe you should start kissing his feet for forgiveness or something."

"**Please be silent, Hollow. After I finish this...thing off, you are next.**"

"Yeah right, good luck with that."

"**Come here and face me Ichigo Kurosaki. Let me show you how insignificant this new transformation of yours truly is.**"

He gets no response from Hollowfied Ichigo, instead the latter turns to face Miria and says in a reverberating, low growl, "_**...will...help you...**_"

"**Do not turn your back on me, boy! I shall show you the consequences for disrespecting me.**" Raising his sword high above his head, Xeger swings it diagonally, firing off an extremely large "Rock of Amber" attack. As if on cue, with just a small hand gesture, Zangetsu breaks free from the confines of the remaining chunk of amber and flies swiftly towards Ichigo, landing directly in the palm of his right hand.

Though not much has ever really surprised Miria, she is in awe by what she had just witnessed, "How did he...he just..."

A fraction of a second before Xeger's special attack collides with the two individuals on the ground, Ichigo grabs Miria by her waist and sonidos the two of them to safety, a good distance away. He looks at her and growls, "_**...stay...here...**_"

The resulting explosion showers the area again, covering the land in thick, gooey resin, solidifying moments later. Ichigo turns to face Xeger and instantly disappears from view.

"**What? Where did he go?!...**"

The blade of Xeger's sword suddenly breaks in half as Ichigo reappears behind him.

"**What the?! How could I have lost track of him and how was he able to destroy my Xiphos so easily?!**"

Grabbing several snakes from the top of Xeger's head, Ichigo catapults him vertically into the air, thousands of feet high. He sonidos just slightly above Xeger's head and catches him by his face then dives straight down towards the ground at near supersonic speed. Releasing him 50 meters above ground level, Xeger continues plummeting towards Earth head first. A massive crater is created as he smashes violently into the ground, sending a large plume of dirt and debris into the atmosphere.

* * *

Ichigo's Inner World

Unable to hold his breath any longer, Ichigo opens his mouth and inhales deeply. To his surprise, he is actually able to breathe. He slowly opens his eyes to find himself laying on his back in his inner world. Everything here has nearly returned to normal since Azazel's attempted coup and ultimate defeat. Although the sky is blue again, there is still a bit of haze and fog covering this sideways world. He discovers Tensa Zangetsu standing silently over him.

"What's going on, why am I back here?"

"_You were about to die...again._"

"Xeger trapped me in amber. I tried to free myself...tried holding my breath for as long as I could but..."

"_Yes, we were aware of the situation and immediately intervened._"

Looking around, Ichigo finally asked, "...where is...he?"

"_Out there...attempting to preserve that which you want to protect._"

"What?! Will he..."

"_Do not concern yourself Ichigo, he knows what is at stake here and will act accordingly. However, there is something we must discuss, something imperative._"

"What is it?"

"_Your memory still has not fully returned. Something must be done about that...something drastic before you completely lose your powers. I know of only one way..._"

* * *

Back near the village

As the dust clears, Hollow Ichigo scans the crater for any signs of life from his foe. Nothing has stirred for the past several minutes. Is Xeger playing possum or has he truly met his fate? For the moment, things seem a bit peaceful as a large flock of birds soar through the sky, some having to evasively avoid the individual floating stationary in front of them. Suddenly, a dark orange Cero pierces the cloud of dust, necessitating the need for Hollow Ichigo to sonido away from the path of the beam. This however is not a regular Cero, it does not cause its victim to explode upon contact...it does something probably much worse. Unfortunately for a lone bird, it is not so lucky in avoiding the beam. After being struck, it falls to the ground with a thud. The bird has been literally turned to stone, resembling a well sculpted statue.

"!...the bird that was hit by Xeger's Cero..." Miria says aloud, horrified, "was just turned to stone?!..."

"**Did you honestly believe that La roca del ámbar (Rock of Amber) was my only offensive ability? That by destroying my sword, you will have the advantage? That, young man, will be a fatal mistake.**"

Using sonido, Xeger reappears in the sky above and immediately targets Hollow Ichigo. A ball of energy quickly charges in front of his eyes, "**Cero ****petrificar la ****mirada**" (Petrifying Gaze Zero).

Due to Hollow Ichigo's speed however, Xeger would have better luck shooting a fly with a handgun. He fires one after another, but his current opponent easily evades each one, almost as if he is merely toying with Xeger. Fully frustrated, he fires a fusillade of Cero petrificar la mirada, which lights up the sky like fireworks. The surrounding area below the battle has literally turned into a petrified forest, littered by stone statues of the inhabitants and invaders alike. Although this rain of fire manages to kill almost every living creature down below, Xeger's primary target still continues to elude him.

"**Damn him!**" cursed Xeger, "**Maybe what I need is...a little bait!**"

Using his Pesquisa to locate Miria, Xeger vanishes from the air and reappears in front of the former single-digit warrior.

"**I wonder, in his current state, would he even try to rescue you, Miria? Let's find...**"

Before he can finish his sentence, Miria attacks him using a combination of the reiatsu she absorbed from Ichigo and her own yoki. Her sword strikes have become immensely more powerful, creating small shock waves with each swing of her claymore. On the fly, she also develops a new type of Mirage technique using the basic principles of her flash step training, unlike her original Phantom Mirage which uses yoki release. This new version has the added advantage of more subtle movements and near limitless use. To defend himself, Xeger manifests two swords made of high density amber.

"You miscalculated, Xeger." Miria declared, "I am no damsel that needs saving."

She continuously circles her enemy, creating a row of after-images while striking him from several different angles and directions. Even though Xeger is apparently more powerful than Miria, her extensive experience in battle and tactics would seem to give her the edge. He receives injury upon injury from her unrelenting assault, but due to his Hollow form, he quickly heals from every damage inflicted. What he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for with patience and brute strength. Timing her attacks, he goes on the offensive and slashes mercilessly with both swords, pushing Miria into a corner. For some reason, she lowers her guard for an instant, giving Xeger an opportunity to stab her in the midsection.

He brings his other sword up against her neck and questions, "**How was I able to corner you this easily? A warrior of your stature would not have fallen this quickly. Anyhow, it is a mistake that you will not live to regret. Goodbye my beautiful Mir...argh!**"

Xeger hears a low reverberating growl a split-second before both of his arms are torn away from his body. Hollow Ichigo then grabs him by the snakes which replaced the hair on top of his head and flings him high into to air. Looking up, he charges a huge ball of red energy from between his horns and fires a tremendously huge Cero. The beam travels upward diagonally, piercing through several layers of clouds until finally connecting with the hapless target. The ensuing explosion engulfs Xeger in a blast so powerful, that it nearly tears the fabric of space in two, sending him rocketing towards the ground at high speeds. He slams through rows of fossilized trees before crashing hard into the side of a mountain.

"...Ichigo..." Miria says in a low voice

He turns his head to glance at her, but again says only two words, "_**...help you...**_" then vanishes from sight.

Xeger slowly gets up from the ground, his armor is all but shattered and his clothes are extensively ripped and torn apart. "**That bitch...she *cough* purposefully took my attack in order...to give Ichigo an...opening. How...how did he...*cough*...become so...powerful?**" he asked himself while coughing up large amounts of blood, "**I...made a grave...*cough*...error not killing him the first chance I...got *cough*. I will not let it end...like this. I shall kill...this damn whelp!**"

As he tries to regenerate his arms, Hollow Ichigo suddenly appears above him. For probably the first time in his adult life, Xeger actually feels fear. This...frightening beast seems to be more than he can handle. In an act of self-preservation, he charges a giant Cero, "**Cero ****petrificar la ****mir**..."

However, before he can discharge his attack, Hollow Ichigo swings his zanpakuto horizontally, slicing through the ball of energy as well as both of Xeger's eyes. He wails in agony as large amounts of purple blood gush out from both eye sockets. His Cero implodes, creating large amounts of smoke and dirt that fill the air within a hundred foot radius. After mere moments, the silhouette of both Hollow Ichigo and Xeger can be slightly seen through the smokey haze. The former tightly grips the faux Arrancar by his throat while continuing to growl.

"**What...what the hell are you?!**" Xeger cursed,** "Why won't you die?!**"

The only response he receives is the sound of Hollow Ichigo's Cero powering up at close range.

"**Damn you,**" he says, "**I'll see you in hell!**"

Grimmjow's sudden appearance makes the possessed Ichigo pause for a second.

"Dammit Ichigo...wait!" Grimmjow screamed, "For fuck's sake, he's the only one who knows how to get us back!"

Completely ignoring the former Espada, Hollow Ichigo releases the powerful energy building up between his horns, completely incinerating the upper half of Xeger's body while blowing his entire head clean off. The energy beam demolishes the hillside behind them and eventually collides with a mountain range a few miles beyond, generating a large, firey mushroom cloud. As Miria arrives at the scene, Hollow Ichigo drops Xeger's smoldering remains while turning to face both her and Grimmjow.

"It's finally over?" She asked, "Now, my only concern is trying to get the two of you back ho..."

"You stupid son of a bitch, I told you to wait! We're fucking stuck here now..." Grimmjow raged while unsheathing his sword , "We might as well finish our fight now...GRIND, PAN..."

At that moment, a tremendous burst of yoki pulsates through the air making the three individuals pause for a moment.

"What the hell?!"

"Could that be...Xeger?" questioned Miria as she gazes at his burnt up corpse, "How could he still be alive?!"

"_**...grrrh...**_"

What's left of Xeger's body begins to bubble and bulge, growing immensely in size and shape. The oozing flesh splits in half as the head of a serpent with enormous fangs and a multitude of horns crowning its head, emerges from the grotesque remains. One after the other, another head appears until the entire enormous body comes into full view. Xeger's awakening is in the form of a scarlet colored, gargantuan Hydra with seven heads, a long, spiked tail and an enormous Hollow hole in the center of his chest. All seven heads roar in unison, creating a high-pitched sonic scream while simultaneously charging a Cero petrificar la mirada.

"SHIT! It's probably a good idea if we get the fuck outta here!" screamed Grimmjow as he sonidos safely from the area

"Ichigo, we have to go now!" Miria yelled vociferously

"_**...go...run...**_"

"Not without you..."

He looks up towards the sky, letting out a roar that nearly matches that of Xeger's recent outburst, "_**...RUN!...**_"

With a heavy heart, Miria flash steps away, leaving her companion alone to face the wrath of their enemy. Standing his ground, Hollow Ichigo plants his feet then leans forward, charging another obscenely huge Cero. Both he and Xeger fire off their respective attacks at the same time, unleashing cyclonic force winds in all directions. All seven of Xeger's Ceros fuse together, creating a beam ten times more massive than Hollow Ichigo's. When the two energy beams collide, the latter's attack is deflected skyward by the orange wave then continues forward unabated. Everything within the path of the beam is instantly turned to stone, including the hollowfied Soul Reaper.

Watching from afar, Miria screams out, "ICHIGO!"

* * *

Ichigo's Inner World

Hollow Ichigo appears suddenly in front of Tensa Zangetsu and the one he calls "King". Tremors can be felt below their feet as the buildings off in the distance appear to turn into stone, quickly making its way towards the trio.

"What the hell is happening?!"

"**Xeger's winning, dumbass...**"

"_We are running out of time, Ichigo. Only the outer portion of your body has petrified thus far. Once it reaches us here, it will be all over. Also, I sense that your powers are waning. You must re-learn your ultimate technique as quickly as possible._"

"Okay, let's do it."

Tensa Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo merge once again, forming a being that has aspects of both. Holding his white bankai sword with a black tsuba, he immediately charges at Ichigo

"_**Prepare yourself, Ichigo...this will be our final farewell...**_"

* * *

At the devastated village

As Grimmjow makes his way through the now desolate town, the bodies of both Yoma and the massacred townsfolk lay scattered about like a bad nightmare. He senses something strange, somewhere in the sky directly above the center of the area. Quickly making his way to that location, he finds some type of portal floating overhead.

"That's it!" he says aloud, "That...thing should be able to get me back."

Taking flight, he swiftly soars towards the energized doorway. Unfortunately, he is unable to enter due to some kind of energy barrier blocking the threshold. It seems that this is only a one-way portal as he can see Karakura Town, slightly obscured, just beyond it.

"What the hell is this shit?!" He yells out, more than frustrated, "There's gotta be a way through this thing."

A few miles away, Miria flash steps to Ichigo's petrified body and examines him.

"**He's dead, Miria. There's absolutely nothing you can do to save him. Honestly, there was never anything you could have done to save him**," taunted Xeger, "**I'm going to give you one last chance to join me or you can meet your lover in Hell**."

"I would rather die than be your consort," Miria replied angrily

"**That can be arranged, wench.**"

Without another word, Miria immediately flash steps and attacks her newly awakened foe. Utilizing the new version of her Phantom Mirage, she easily evades his slashes and tail whips, drawing herself closer with each step. One of Xeger's heads lunges down toward her while spitting out poisonous acid. Sidestepping out of the way, she raises her large sword into the air as the head passes right by her and accidentally plants itself in the ground. With all her might, Miria swings her sword and decapitates the slithering head with ease. Xeger shrieks in pain while reeling backwards. To her horror however, two new heads instantly grows in place from the stump of his neck.

"**You bitch, that hurt! I am not just going to kill you, I am going to devour you and savor every moment. I am going to kill you...oh so slowly and make you suffer.**"

Simultaneously, each head opens its mouth and discharges globs of thick, sticky resin into the air. Miria tries to flash step away, but one wad manages to land on her left leg, completely encasing it in dense amber. No longer able to move, she brings her sword up in a defensive posture.

"**You should have agreed to join me. Though it will definitely be a waste to kill someone as beautiful as you, I am going to enjoy swallowing you whole.**"

Xeger screeches as one of his several mouths open wide in order to swallow the incapacitated warrior. A few hundred feet away, the stone covering Ichigo's body cracks then shatters, exploding outward. Both parties are shocked to see the young Soul Reaper standing there, seemingly uninjured. Miria notices that Ichigo's appearance has slightly changed. A black glove now covers his right hand and the chain attached to the bottom of his sword has wrapped itself around the entire length of his right arm.

"_**Sorry Xeger, but I won't give you the chance to harm Miria.**_"

"**What?! How is this possible...how can you still be alive?! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU!**" Xeger roared

"...Ichigo, I thought you were dead."

"_**I'm sorry, Miria. I didn't mean to worry you.**_" Ichigo says with a smile, "_**Don't worry though, it'll be over soon.**_"

"**Ha! You've said that many times before, boy. Yet I'm still here, breathing. Also, I don't sense any reiatsu from you...not even a small trace. Have you lost all of your powers?**"

"_**No...not yet at least. That's why I need to finish this quickly.**_"

Before anyone even has time to take another breath, Ichigo flash steps to Miria's location, grabs her and takes flight. Within seconds, they arrive at the town and land gently on the ground. Ichigo frees Miria's leg from the amber by striking it with the palm of his hand.

"_**Miria, I needed to get you outta harm's way before I fight Xeger. Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near us.**_"

"I understand." She says with a worried look

"_**Don't worry, I'll be fine**_."

"It's not that, something just seems different about you. Even though there isn't any trace of spiritual pressure, I can sense your powers have grown by a great margin."

"_**Yeah, I was able to regain the powers I had when I fought Aizen, though I don't think it'll last too long. I also got all of my memory back as well.**_"

"I see..."

"_**You do trust me, right?**_"

"Yes of course."

"_**Okay, I'll be back. Please stay here for now.**_"

As Ichigo disappears before her eyes, Miria senses some kind of strange energy pulse originating near the town's center. It's the same kind of energy signature she felt before in the valley south of Pieta. She leaves hastily to locate the source, hoping it isn't something dangerously threatening.

Ichigo arrives at the plain moments later, landing only several feet away from Xeger. The expression on his face has completely changed since their last confrontation. He seems to be calmer, more composed, relaxed and confident.

"_** Let's go Xeger. I have no time to waste.**_"

"**You are very conceited for someone who doesn't seem to have any spiritual powers remaining. However, if you really want to die right now, I'll be more than happy to obl...**"

In the blink of an eye, Ichigo grabs Xeger by his tail and swings him over his shoulder, slamming him hard into the ground, creating a small earthquake and upheaving a large portion of the landscape. Although slightly stunned, Xeger quickly gets up from the ground.

"**I see you have grown quite strong, but you still have no chance of defeating me, boy.**"

Xeger fires a salvo of La roca del ámbar at his adversary, from all eight heads. To his surprise, Ichigo does not move or flinch at the sight of the incoming barrage. Instead, he swings his sword twice, forming the shape of an "X" and easily deflects the entirety of Xeger's assault.

"**Impossible...**"

"_**Not really, Xeger.**_"

"**I'm going to tear you limb from limb, brat!**"

Ichigo doesn't say another word, instead he swings his zanpakuto diagonally, sending out a nearly invisible wave of energy which severs the left side of Xeger's front and hind legs. The hillside behind the combatants is shattered, reshaped by a single sword swing. Xeger falls down hard, unable to get up due to his missing appendages.

"**What the hell...was that?! You weren't even near me...**"

"_**Kuretsusen...**_" Ichigo responds while swinging his sword several more times

In nearly an instant, four of Xeger's eight heads fall to the ground, squirming...more victims of Ichigo's special attack. More parts of the hillside surrounding the area is demolished and flattened. Like before however, eight heads grow in place of the ones that were decapitated, making them a total number of twelve.

"**Though you have greatly increased your strength and power, the chances you have for victory is very slim to none...for I am immortal!**"

"_**I guess you still haven't quite noticed yet...but I've become more powerful than you.**_" Ichigo asserted as he slowly walked toward him

"**Let us put your beliefs to the test, brat!**"

From his center head, Xeger fires a Cero petrificar la mirada at his adversary, but he continues to walk forward, unwavering. Ichigo raises his left hand and swats the beam away, sending it shooting straight up into the air.

"**Impossible...bare-handed?!**"

"_**As I told you before, I'm much stronger than you are now.**_"

"**Impudent child, before I crush you, I shall destroy everything here and the lands beyond, just to prove how insignificant you are.**"

Finally regenerating the two legs he lost, Xeger stands up and increases his yoki/reiatsu. A swirling whirlwind begins to encompass his body as his spiritual pressure violently explodes outward. As all twelve of his heads look up towards the sky, Xeger fires an enormous battery of La roca del ámbar,  
Cero petrificar la mirada and poisonous venom which showers the landscape with the deadly arsenal at his disposal. Everything in the immediate are is either petrified, covered in amber or dissolving due to the hydrochloric acid within the venom. The unrelenting onslaught quickly spreads out towards the already desecrated town. Ichigo, fearing for Miria's safety, flash steps directly in front of Xeger.

"_**I'm gonna end this madness now, Xeger.**_"

The head closest to Ichigo opens its jaws wide and roars, charging a Cero petrificar la mirada at point blank range. Using the blunt side of his sword, Ichigo strikes it hard between the eyes, causing it to swing down, underneath its own body. The Cero discharges, blasting Xeger directly into the Hollow hole located in the center of his chest. His high-pitched screech echos through the land as his body starts its transformation to stone.

"**How can this...be? To be defeated by a...mere...child. Damn you Ichigo Kurosaki! I will...**" are the last words Xeger bellows out before he completely falls victim to his own power

Not willing to take a chance, Ichigo grabs his right arm with his left hand, "_**This is the end.**_"

A large amount of black spiritual energy bleeds from his gloved-right hand as he swiftly lunges forward, pointing the tip of his zanpakuto directly at Xeger's petrified body, "_**Kokuryugatotsu**_"

The stone statue of his enemy is pulverized by the attack and shatters into thousands of pieces with the fragments scattering out over a wide area. Although he is relieved that this battle is finally over, he worries about his chances of getting home now. He closes his eyes for a moment to search for Miria's yoki. Locating her near the center of town, he quickly departs.

* * *

Back at the Village

Grimmjow tries relentlessly to enter the portal, but to no avail. Frustrated, he fires a Cero, only to have it deflected back toward him.

"Damn! What the fuck is this?!" he yells out

"It would seem that this...doorway will not allow anything through from this side." Miria says while observing from the ground

"No fucking shit, lady!"

"There must be a way for the two of you to enter."

"Well, once you figure it out, let me know...You really are..." Grimmjow pauses, sensing that the battle has concluded, "I guess Ichigo beat him."

"Yes, I can no longer detect Xeger's yoki."

Suddenly appearing down below next to Miria, Ichigo looks up to stare at the gateway to his world.

"_**Miria...Is that it?**_"

"Yes, I believe so. Are you alright?" she asked

"_**Yeah, I'm good. Xeger has been dealt with...**_"

"I take it you were not able to get the information which you required from him."

"_**...no...**_"

"This doorway to your world is not accessible from this side. Grimmjow has been trying to enter it for some time now."

"Yeah, I even tried a Cero, but it reflected back at me."

"Maybe, it requires more power..."

"Hey broad, screw you!"

"I meant no disrespect, but if this...thing needed a large amount of energy to materialize, then it would make sense that it requires an equal, if not more energy to reverse it. With all the battles and deaths that have occurred here, I would deduce that we will need a substantial amount of energy, probably greater than the two of you combined."

"I guess killing Xeger was a bad thing then?"

"_**No it wasn't, Grimmjow. He needed to be dealt with...but If this portal needs a lot of energy, I think I have the solution.**_"

"What is it?"

"_**...The Final Getsuga Tensho. I used it before to defeat Aizen, but right after, I began to slowly lose my Shinigami powers then my memory. I think I might still have enough reiryoku to do it.**_"

"Will that be safe?"

"_**Miria,**_ _**I don't know how much longer I'll have my powers...or if I can even use my ultimate attack again, but I have to try. If it doesn't work, I'll completely lose all of my powers and be stuck here for the rest of my life.**_"

Clearly irritated, Grimmjow yells, "Just try whatever it is you're gonna do already before this damn thing decides to close."

"_**Yeah, but b****efore I do, I need to ask you a favor, Grimmjow.**_"

"Geez, what the hell is it?!"

"_**When I first got here, I was sucked into some kind of vortex. Uryu shot an arrow at the tail end of it which caused a big enough explosion that the vortex collapsed in on itself. However, he was too late...I was already caught in it. If this works and we manage to get through, I need you to try the same thing. We gotta close the portal to protect both worlds.**_"

"Yeah, yeah...what the hell ever. Just so you know, this doesn't make us friends or anything. Once we get through, I'm still gonna go and kick your ass. Got it?!"

"_**Yeah, I got it.**_" Ichigo responds, grinning

"Ichigo...if this plan does work, We will probably never see each other again. I just want to thank you for everything...I..."

Staring at her with a smile, Ichigo says, "**_No, thank you. I don't think I would have made it this far if it wasn't for your help...I'm gonna miss you, Miria._**"

"You as well," she answered, giving him one last kiss on the lips

"Oh come on, seriuosly! Do we really have time for all this mushy crap?! Let's get on with it already" Grimmjow raged impatiently

Blushing, Ichigo turns around and tells Grimmjow to move far away from the portal. Extending his right arm forward and placing his left hand over his forearm, Ichigo poses as if to activate his bankai.

"_**This is the Final...Getsuga Tensho.**_" His reiatsu erupts in a bright, blue explosion. Powerful wind currents surround his transformation as Miria and Grimmjow try to make out Ichigo's new form through the blue and black malestrom of energy. Exploding violently outward, his swirling, smoky-looking, black reiatsu continues to emit from his body, most of which is focused around his right arm. The color of his hair has changed to jet black while the length of it is now past his waist. Bluish-gray bandages are tightly wrapped around his upper body and the lower half of his face, just slightly below his eyes. He is also no longer in possession of his zanpakuto.

"_**The Final Getsuga Tensho...is when I become Getsuga itself.**_"

Looking quite shocked at his transformation, Miria is near speechless, "...Ichigo?"

"_**Yes Miria, it's me.**_"

"Eh, so that's the form that took down Lord Aizen." Grimmjow thinks to himself, "I hate to admit this, but I probably don't have the power to beat him, right now...but just give me some time and we'll see..."

"_**Stay back everyone.**_" He says while materializing a long, black blade of spirit energy in his right hand

Raising his right arm vertically above his head, he says only one word, "_**Mugetsu.**_"

He swings the blade down and a massive veil of extremely powerful, black spiritual energy erupts upwards from the ground, rising high in the air and quickly approaching the portal like a tidal wave. The sky darkens as the energy rift gets completely engulfed by Ichigo's final attack. It continues traveling for a few miles, cutting a deep chasm through the landscape before dissipating into the sky. The bandages covering Ichigo's body, crumbles and blows away in the wind.

The portal begins to crackle with electrical current and implodes seconds later, creating a large swirling vortex made of energy. Hurricane-like winds smash through the town as the vortex grows in size.

"That's it Ichigo! Let's go!"

"_**Right, let's do it.**_"

As he's about to leap toward the vortex, Miria grabs his hand tightly and speaks in a low voice, "Ichigo...I...just wanted to say..."

Looking directly into her eyes, he uncharacteristically puts his hand behind her neck and brings his lips closer to hers. As their lips touch, a part of him wonders what the hell he is doing but then let's his other half take control. They share a long, passionate kiss before being interrupted by a very impatient and irate former Espada.

"DAMMIT YOU DUMBASS! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! LET"S GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE ALREADY!"

"_**Yeah, okay. You're probably right. We should get going now.**_"

"Oh, ya think?!"

_**"Goodbye, Miria. Maybe we'll see each other again someday.**_"

"Yes, maybe we will." she says smiling back at him

Jumping towards the vortex, Ichigo turns his head to glance at Miria one last time. He can't believe that he actually kissed her...more than once. That's totally unlike him. Suddenly, his long, black hair vanishes, returning to its original orange color. He can feel his strength weakening as he is pulled directly into the inverted tornado. "My...Shinigami powers...are finally disappearing..." The last thing he sees before passing out is Grimmjow shooting the vortex with his Gran Rey Cero then the quiet darkness takes over consciousness.

Miria watches as both Ichigo and the vortex implode then dematerialize from the sky above. "Farewell, Ichigo..." she says one last time.

"Miria!"

Turning around surprised, she responds, "Clare?! Why are you here?"

"I had to make sure you were alright. So what happened to Xeger? I no longer sense his yoki."

"It is all over. Ichigo was finally able to defeat him, he'll no longer be a problem."

"So what happened to Ichigo?"

"He returned to his world..."

"I see."

"Where is Deneve and Helen?"

"Waiting for us. They are about a quarters day's journey North."

"Alright, let us go meet with them then head directly back to Pieta. The Organization still believes us dead so we must remain in hiding. Hopefully, they have not yet discovered us."

"For how much longer must we hide?"

"For as long as it takes, Clare. We should also change out of these Organization issued attire and find something...less conspicuous."

"Did you have something in mind?"

"Probably," Miria answered while clutching a small piece of Ichigo's shihakusho, "Maybe something in black..."

"Okay, let's get going then."

"Right."

The two former Organization warriors immediately leave the war-torn village and head out to meet with their two other comrades, hoping to forget the recent events that had just transpired here. As the sun begins to set in the West, the light purple twilight emerges from the horizon and a cold breeze blows gently through the now silent town.

* * *

Karakura Town

The deafening silence and pitch darkness begins to fade as Ichigo slowly opens his eyes. Although a little blurry at first, he can somewhat distinguish several people standing over him. As his vision sharpens he realizes those people are actually his close friends Orihime, Rukia, Chad and Uryu. He remains lying on his back for several seconds with his eyes wide open, wearing a long sleeve shirt with the number "15" printed on the left side.

Orihime screams out, "KUROSAKI-KUN!"

Sitting up in bed, Ichigo looks around and asks, "Eh? Huh? Is...this my house?"

"You've been out cold for almost a month now." Rukia explains to him

"Everyone's so calm..." Orihime says in a low voice, blushing, "I'm so embarrassed for screaming all by myself..."

"...one month..." Looking a bit confused, "That's right, my powers!..."

"...Ichigo."

"We heard from Urahara. It seems...that you've lost your Shinigami powers." Rukia looks at Ichigo with a bit of concern

"Oh...so you heard. Yeah, seems like that's the case. Guess I'll have to give back my Substitute Shinigami badge."

Rukia explains, "...the first stage of loss brings intense pain, loss of consciousness and a reverse flow of the time that your body experienced in the Precipice World. Your hair has gotten shorter, hasn't it? It's not because we cut it. You lost your Shinigami powers at that point. Then in the second stage, your remaining reiatsu stabilized and you woke up. Then in due time, the remainder of your spiritual power will completely disappear."

Ichigo turns to look at his friends, speaking in a low voice, "...oh, I thought so."

Rukia looks at him, astonished, "...y...you're not surprised?"

"Nah, I figured that this would happen...," Ichigo glances down with a noticeably sad look in his eyes and thinks to himself, "Miria...was it all just a dream. It seemed so real...all of it. If it was just a dream...why do I feel...sad? Why do I really miss her? Maybe one day I'll see her again. Goodbye, Miria." He looks toward his friends and asks, "...can I go outside?"

Ichigo, wearing a black hoodie over his shirt, steps outside of his house, looks around and says to himself, "I can't sense any spiritual presence." He looks to his right to glance at Rukia. "Even Rukia is slowly fading away. My powers really are disappearing..."

Rukia looks at him and says, "This is farewell, Ichigo."

"...seems so..." He says, smiling

"What?!" She replies, crossing her arms, "Don't look so sad. Even if you can no longer see me, I can still see you."

Scratching his head, Ichigo retorts, "What?! That doesn't make me happy at all!...and I wasn't making a sad face either."

Rukia stares at the ground as she slowly fades from Ichigo's vision.

"...tell everyone I give them my best." He says to her

"...okay." Rukia reponds as she glances up to look at him with a look of sadness.

Ichigo smiles at her as she completely fades from view and says, "Bye Rukia...thank you."

And the rest is history...

**End **

* * *

_**Prologue: The Wolf of the North**_

The town of Pieta

The savage blizzard rages on, yet this desolate town remains unchanged. Though the buildings are empty and deserted, they stand their ground against the unrelenting winds and the harsh, negative twenty degree temperatures. It is one of these buildings which the strange individual, caught in the middle of this brutal snow storm, is attempting to use as some form of refuge from the elements. Though the clothes he wears is not typically made for this kind of weather, the color matches his current surroundings quite well.

"Where are we?" a female voice questioned, "...I don't even remember how we got here..."

"Me either," he responded, "For now we need to get to one of those buildings or we'll freeze to death."

"Are you sure we aren't already dead. I mean the last thing I remember is..."

"Of course we aren't dead. We sure as hell wouldn't be freezing our asses off, now would we?"

"How should I know..."

"Be quiet...something is coming this way...something...big."

"Where?!"

From out of nowhere, a monstrous Awakened Being appears in front of them, blocking their path. It opens its mouth and shrieks, causing the man to cover both ears.

"Geez..."

Looking at the monster, the man speaks in a calm, but demanding tone, "Would you do me the favor of letting us through? I'm very tired and cold...I could really use a nap about now."

"**Hahaha. Who exactly is 'us'?**" the beast questioned, "**I'm hungry and would like to eat your entrails.**"

"Why don't you just kill this thing already?" the female said angrily

"...yeah, I guess you're right. I don't think he's gonna move outta the way just because we ask him to." he answered back

"**...huh? Where'd the other voice come from. Who the hell are you talking to?!**"

"I really wanted to avoid this, but I guess I have no choice. It's too damn cold for this to take too long, so I'm gonna finish you off quickly." the man declared while bringing the weapon in his right hand to bear.

"**_Cero Metralleta!_**"


End file.
